The WHO Issues Warning About Superbug That Causes Rapid Death – Is Louisiana At Risk?

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - The World Health Organization has announced it's following an outbreak of a superbug that can cause rapid death in those it effects.

The organization is monitoring outbreaks in several regions globally - including the United States.

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What Is hvKp?

hvKp, or hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, is a particularly aggressive strain of the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium, capable of causing severe and invasive infections. Unlike the classic strains that typically cause hospital-acquired infections in immunocompromised patients, hvKp can infect healthy individuals, leading to serious diseases.

This hypervirulent strain is notorious for causing severe infections such as liver abscesses, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia. These infections are more intense and harder to treat due to hvKp's increased virulence factors. These include a heightened ability to evade the immune system, increased capsule production that protects it from immune responses, and a strong potential to acquire and spread antibiotic resistance genes.

hvKp infections can result in severe complications like septic shock and multi-organ failure, making early detection and treatment crucial. The strain has been reported globally, raising concerns about its potential to cause outbreaks in both healthcare settings and the broader community.

Treating hvKp infections can be challenging due to the strain's antibiotic resistance. This makes it essential for healthcare providers to accurately identify the strain and select the right antibiotic therapy. In some cases, a combination of antibiotics may be necessary to effectively combat the infection.

Preventive measures are vital to limit the spread of hvKp. These include strict hygiene practices, robust infection control in healthcare settings, and prudent use of antibiotics. Public health surveillance and ongoing research into new treatments are also key to addressing the threat posed by this hypervirulent pathogen.

What Is the WHO Seeing?

The World Health Organization has noted a rise in infections and asked all the regions it monitors to report in. Here's what they found.

A total of 43 out of 124 countries, territories, and areas across the six WHO Regions provided responses: Africa (10); Europe (10); East Mediterranean (10); Western Pacific (6); America (4); South-East Asia (3).  From these, a total of 16 countries and territories (Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Cambodia, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom), and the United States of America) reported the presence of hvKp and 12 reported specifically the presence of the strain ST23-K1 (Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Philippines, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdom).

In the American region, the WHO says that while there are systems in place capable of identifying the virus, "there is no systematic surveillance that allows the routine identification of hvKp strains and allows the collection of information on these strains."

As a result, it is difficult to track it, and we currently don't have much information as to where it has been detected or if it has spread.