Klebsiella pneumonia or also known as Friedlanders bacillus is a disease that is found in humans and animals. The genus is named after Edwin Klebs a 19th century German Microbiologist. Klebsiella forms in soil and the water on plants. K. pneumonia is found in the digestive and respiratory systems causing lobar pneumonia, meningitis if spread into the blood stream, urinary tract infections, and would infections. Klebsiella is part of the family Enterobacteriaceae and belongs to the genus Klebsiella. This bacterium is nonmotile, lactose fermenting, rod-shaped, and a gram-negative bacilli. K. pneumonia is facultative anaerobic meaning they can grow with or without oxygen. They do not form spores and are capable of forming capsules. There are many ways to become infected by Klebsiella pneumonia. One of the most common places to catch the infection is in health care environments, which is why Kelbsiella is a nosocomial pneumonia infection. The article “Klebsiella pneumonia pathogenesis” by Microbe Wiki explains, ”Carriers rated in hospitalized patients were 19% in the pharynx, 77% in the stool, and …show more content…
The reason Klebsiella infections are highly resistant to antibiotics is because they produce an enzyme called carbapenemase (KPC-producing organisms). Since K.pneumonia produces this enzyme certain antibiotics such as carbapenems will not work. This is usually the last chance the body has of killing the infection. If a patient is infected with K.pneumonia that produces carbapenemase a microbiology laboratory will run tests to figure out what kind of antibiotic will treat the infection (CDC, 2010). Hospitals are relying on polymyxins and tigecycline to stop the infections. Published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information the author of “Emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC)-Producing