Pediatric brain abscess with fatal outcome caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, serotype K2-ST65

Emily Tan Sheau En; Nabilah Ismail; Nur Syafiqah Mohamad Nasir; Yasmin Khairani Muhammad Ismadi; Nik Mohd Noor Nik Zuraina; Siti Asma' Hassan

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2023.05.015

Pediatric brain abscess with fatal outcome caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, serotype K2-ST65

J Infect Public Health. 2023 Jul;16(7):1089-1092. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.05.015. Epub 2023 May 13.

Authors

Emily Tan Sheau En¹, Nabilah Ismail², Nur Syafiqah Mohamad Nasir¹, Yasmin Khairani Muhammad Ismadi¹, Nik Mohd Noor Nik Zuraina¹, Siti Asma' Hassan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
² Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, USM, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Malaysia.
³ Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, USM, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Malaysia. Electronic address: sitiasmakb@usm.my.

PMID: 37224619
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.05.015

Abstract

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is an emerging pathotype in addition to classical Klebsiella pneumoniae, with its ability to cause life-threatening, community-acquired metastatic infections even in healthy individuals. We presented a case of cerebral abscess preceded by otitis media in a 10-year-old child caused by hvKp. The isolates from blood pus aspirate were later identified as K. pneumoniae capsular serotype K2 and closely related to sequence type (ST65), with multiple hypervirulent genes detected (rmpA, rmpA2, iucA and peg344). She succumbed to death despite surgical drainage and susceptible antibiotic therapy. Clinicians should be cognizant of the rising incidence of hvKp infections in pediatric populations.

Keywords: Brain abscess; Hypervirulent; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Pediatric.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Brain Abscess*
Child
Community-Acquired Infections* / drug therapy
Fatal Outcome
Female
Humans
Klebsiella Infections* / epidemiology
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Serogroup
Virulence / genetics

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents