Asian superbug Klebsiella pneumoniae spreads in European hospitals

A superbug endemic to Asia is spreading in European hospitals, health officials have warned. 

Cases of the bacteria, known as hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, have risen by 1,000 per cent since 2021 – from 12 to 143 infections, according to the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

The infection is mainly associated with hepatic abscesses – painful pus-filled growths on the liver – but can also result in sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia.  

It is different from ‘classic’ Klebsiella pneumoniae – a hospital superbug that infects immunocompromised individuals – in that it has the ability to infect otherwise healthy people and wreak havoc on their immune systems. 

The infection is also resistant to most last-line antibiotics, including carbapenems, meaning it is very difficult to treat.

Ireland has the highest burden of cases, with 87 infections in the past two years. 

‘Silent pandemic’

The bacteria is one of the main causes of hospital-acquired infections in Asia, and was first detected in Taiwan in the mid-1980s. Since then, it has spread other regions including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and China. 

Clusters of cases have now been reported in 10 European countries, including Denmark, Finland, and France. 

“The probability for further dissemination [of the infection] with consequent significant impact on morbidity and mortality is considered to be high, based on evidence for sustained transmission in healthcare settings,” warned the ECDC.

The UK Health Security Agency said it had no data to indicate the bug had been detected in Britain, although they couldn’t rule out its presence. 

Antibiotic resistant superbugs kill as many people in Europe each year as flu, HIV, and tuberculosis combined, with 35,000 deaths annually. 

Termed the ‘silent pandemic,’ antimicrobial resistance is projected to kill 10 million lives annually by 2050.

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