Know your enemy: Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a member of the ESKAPE multidrug resistance bacterial family, is a significant opportunistic pathogen that causes serious hospital-acquired infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, liver, meningitis, septicemia, skin, and soft tissue infection in immunocompromised individuals. Symptoms vary with the inflicted organs, and the pneumonia patients manifest fever, chills, coughing, bloody mucus, and breath shortness. Many distinct virulent factors, such as lipopolysaccharide or biofilm, are associated with the pathogenesis of pneumonia. K. pneumoniae also has natural and acquired drug-resistance abilities that are constantly expanding, making it a notable superbug. The mechanisms of antibiotic resistance with current understanding may be associated with extended-spectrum beta-lactamases production, biofilm formation, absence of parenchyma porin antimicrobial agents, and gryA and parC mutations, resulting in the ineffectiveness of conventional drugs and urgently calling for the development of novel treatments. Here, we describe the current state of research regarding characteristics of K. pneumoniae, such as virulence attributes, potential mechanisms of drug resistance, and finally search for effective treatments of this bacterium in case of antibiotic apocalypse.