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The threat of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HvKP)

Chang-Ro Lee, Kwang Seung Park, Jung Hun Lee, Jeong Ho Jeon, Young Bae Kim, Byeong Chul Jeong, Sang Hee Lee

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of clinically important opportunistic pathogens responsible for community-acquired and nosocomial infections in immunocompromised individuals. The increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a serious threat to public health worldwide. With antibiotic resistance, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (HvKP) responsible for serious disseminated infections in both healthy and immunocompromised individuals has also emerged. Recently, the emergence of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) strains has become a great challenge to public health. In this paper, we discuss the emergence mechanisms of CRHvKP through analyzing features of CR-HvKP strains isolated in China, where both CRKP and HvKP strains are prevalent. These analyses suggest that more extensive surveillance is required to accurately assess the potential threat of the plasmid-mediated convergence of carbapenem-resistance and hypervirulence.