What Is a Klebsiella Pneumoniae Infection? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that normally lives inside human intestines, where it doesn't cause disease.

But if K. pneumoniae gets into other areas of the body, it can lead to a range of illnesses, including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, meningitis, and urinary tract infections.

For instance, meningitis from K. pneumoniae produces the hallmark symptoms of bacterial meningitis, including fever, confusion, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to bright lights.

Pneumonia from K. pneumoniae can result in:

• Fevers and chills
• Flu-like symptoms
• Cough, which may produce mucus that's yellow, green, or bloody
• Breathing issues

K. pneumoniae infections are typically "nosocomial" infections, which means they're contracted in a hospital or healthcare setting.

Healthy people usually don't have to worry about getting K. pneumoniae infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The bacteria are not airborne, so you can't contract a K. pneumoniae infection by breathing the same air as an infected person.

K. pneumoniae is also spread through direct person-to-person contact, such as when someone with contaminated hands touches a wound.

Klebsiella infections are typically diagnosed with a lab test that examines a sample of the infected tissue, such as blood, urine, or sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus).

The duration of treatment for klebsiella infection varies from a few days to several months, depending on the individual, location of infection, and how early the infection is caught.

Doctors typically use antibiotics to treat K. pneumoniae infections. But the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacteria has complicated matters.

Some "superbug" strains of K. pneumoniae are resistant to most antibiotics, including carbapenems, which are considered last-resort drugs.

These bacteria produce enzymes called Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC), which render the antibiotics ineffective.

These drugs include:

• Aminoglycosides
• Ceftazidime-avibactam
• Meropenem
• Eravacycline
• Tigecycline
• Colistin
• Fosfomycin

To prevent the spread of germs, patients should also wash their hands frequently, including:

• Before touching their eyes, nose, or mouth
• Before preparing or eating food
• After using the bathroom
• After coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose
• Before and after changing wound dressings and bandages
• After touching surfaces in the hospital like bedside tables, bed rails, doorknobs, remote controls, and the phone

If K. pneumoniae gets into other areas of the body, it can cause a range of different illnesses.

These include:

• Pneumonia When K. pneumoniae enters the respiratory tract, it can lead to bacterial pneumonia, or an infection of the lungs. Symptoms include chest pain when you breathe or cough, fever and chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, a cough that may produce phlegm, and changes in mental awareness. It is most serious in older adults, young children, and people with a compromised immune system.

  

• Bloodstream infections K. pneumoniae that enters the bloodstream can cause bacteremia, or an infection of the blood. Bacteremia needs to be treated right away, as these infections can progress to sepsis and septic shock, which can turn deadly. If you’ve recently had a medical or dental procedure or are in the hospital and experience a sudden fever and chills, tell your doctor right away.

  

• Urinary tract infections (UTI) When K. pneumoniae enters the urinary tract, it can lead to a UTI. A UTI can affect any part of the urinary system, including the urethra, kidneys, bladder, and ureters. Symptoms include a strong, frequent need to urinate, burning sensation during urination, pelvic pain, and cloudy, bloody, or strong-smelling urine. Women are at a greater risk for UTIs than men.

  

• Wound and surgical site infections If K. pneumoniae enters a break in the skin, it can lead to a skin or soft tissue infection. Typically, this happens with wounds caused by injury or after surgery. Symptoms can include fever, blisters, fatigue, and pain at the wound or surgical site.
• Meningitis Bacterial meningitis can occur when K. pneumoniae enters the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is a very serious infection that can be life-threatening. The bacteria can cause the tissues around the brain to swell, interfering with blood flow. This can result in paralysis or stroke. Symptoms, including high fever, headaches, and stiff neck, come on quickly, usually within 24 hours of infection. If left untreated, bacterial meningitis can lead to death.

  

Carbapenem-resistant klebsiella is one of the most common CREs in the United States. The other is carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli).

E. coli normally lives in the intestines, where it does not cause illness. But like klebsiella, when it gets into the respiratory tract, bloodstream, or urinary tract, it can cause dangerous and even deadly infections.

Some strains of E. coli in cattle can also cause intestinal infections in humans.

Favorite Organizations for Essential Information About Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC provides all the information you need about what causes klebsiella infections, how it is spread, treatment, and what you can do to prevent infection.

National Institutes of Health Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)

GARD's site is another great resource where you can learn all the facts about Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. You can access a database of clinical trials that are related to klebsiella and read the descriptions of each study. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider before choosing to participate in a clinical study.

Additional reporting by Joseph Bennington-Castro.