Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae: a Call for Consensus Definition and International Collaboration

Abstract

Hypervirulent <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> strains have higher potential to cause more severe and disseminated infections than classic <i>K. pneumoniae</i> strains. While initially reported from East Asian countries, cases have now been identified worldwide, sometimes in conjunction with extensive drug resistance. In this issue of the <i>Journal of Clinical Microbiology</i>, T. A. Russo et al. (J Clin Microbiol 56:e00776-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00776-18) validated the diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers that differentiate hypervirulent <i>K. pneumoniae</i> strains from classic strains. This represents a major step forward in building a consensus definition and designing international studies aimed at elucidating the global epidemiology, clinical features, and outcome of this important pathogen.