Outbreak of klebsiella pneumoniae: Know about its causes and symptoms

A bacterial outbreak, identified as klebsiella pneumoniae, has infected a total of 31 patients at the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Hospital. It has also been reported that four of the patients have died, however, the Public Health-Seattle & King County have not yet officially confirmed the news.

The Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Medical Center first announced the outbreak of klebsiella pneumoniae in October 2022 at its downtown campus. Since then, there have been 31 confirmed cases, with the latest identified on April 3.

The exact source of the transmission remains under investigation, according to hospital officials.

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What is klebsiella pneumoniae?

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that lives inside the human intestines and doesn’t cause any disease. But when it gets into other areas of the body, such as the lungs, it leads to illness. These may include, bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and meningitis.

Moreover, klebsiella pneumoniae in urine is also common and develops if the bacteria enter the urinary tract.

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Who is at greater risk of getting klebsiella pneumoniae?

If you are healthy, chances are high that the bacteria won’t affect you. But you are at a greater risk of developing an infection if:

• you have an ongoing medical concern, such as cancer
• you live in a hospital or a healthcare facility
• you have a catheter to your bladder
• you have diseases like bile disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), peripheral vascular disease, or kidney problems
• you have wounds
• you are taking corticosteroids
• you are on antibiotics for a long time
• you have diabetes
• you are undergoing chemotherapy

People staying in hospital are at a greater risk of developing an infection. (Photo via Pexels/Laura James)

What are the causes?

Klebsiella pneumoniae can happen when the bacteria directly enter the body. This can occur due to person-to-person contact when someone touches a sensitive area of the body or a wound with contaminated hands, or it can happen due to contaminated hospital equipment.

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Major signs and symptoms

Symptoms typically vary from one person to another and differ depending on the location of the infection. Since bacteria can infect different parts of the body, it can lead to different types of symptoms. For instance:

Pneumonia

Pneumonia from K. pneumoniae can cause symptoms such as:

• chills and fever
• severe coughing
• chest pain
• bloody or yellow mucus
• shortness of breath

Urinary tract infection

If the bacteria gets in the bladder, it can lead to a urinary tract infection with symptoms such as:

• burning and pain when urinating
• frequent urge to urinate
• blood in urine
• pain in the pelvic area
• urinating a small amount of urine
• pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen

Skin infection

If the bacteria enters the skin through a cut or wound, it can infect the skin and cause symptoms such as:

• pain
• swelling in the affected area
• fever
• redness
• fatigue
• flu-like symptoms

Fever is a symptom of K. pneumoniae. (Photo via Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch)

Klebsiella pneumoniae treatment

Klebsiella pneumoniae infection is often treated with antibiotics. The bacteria, on the other hand, can be quite difficult to cure as some of them are highly resistant to antibiotics and don’t work.

In such cases, several lab tests are run to examine which antibiotics will be the best to treat the infection.

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Prevention tips

Since the infection can spread from person to person, the best way to prevent it is to wash your hands frequently, especially if you’ve visited a hospital, a healthcare facility, or any crowded area.

You must also wash your hands before touching your eyes, mouth, or nose, after using the washroom, before cooking food, after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing, and before and after changing bandages or any other wound dressings.