Rajamanickam, Soundarya and Manoharan, Meerabai and Bhaskar, Maanasa and Sistla, Sujatha (2025) Detection of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae among clinical isolates from select infections using virulence gene markers. JOURNAL OF LABORATORY PHYSICIANS, 17.0 (2). pp. 178-185. ISSN 0974-2727
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Objectives: Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a distinct pathotype of K. pneumoniae associated with community-acquired infections, and it generally exhibits susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. The objective of the study was to identify hvKp and determine the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of these isolates. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained from community-acquired infections. All isolates were subjected to string test and antimicrobial susceptibility test using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion. Final confirmation was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting three hvKp-specific virulence genes (prmpA, iucA, and peg344). Statistical analysis: The associations between the string test and virulence genes were assessed using the Chi-square test. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the string test were calculated using PCR as the gold standard. Results: Among the 150 isolates, 62 (41.3%) were identified as hvKp. Abscesses (29) and pneumonia (22) were the most common clinical conditions, with neck abscesses as the predominant site. Of the 62 hvKp isolates, only 44 were string test-positive. Surprisingly, 22 string test-positive isolates lacked these genes, while 18 string testnegative isolates carried virulence genes. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the string test were 66.7%, 78.5%, 71%, and 75%, respectively. Three hvKp isolates were multidrug-resistant. Conclusions: Accurate detection of hvKp is critical in clinical settings due to its association with severe communityacquired infections, including deep-seated abscesses and pneumonia. The string test lacks both sensitivity and specificity, making it unreliable for hvKp identification. Therefore, the detection of virulence genes remains the gold standard. Early and precise diagnosis is essential for guiding appropriate treatment, including targeted antibiotic therapy and necessary drainage procedures for abscesses. The presence of multidrug resistance in certain isolates is a cause for concern, necessitating strict infection control measures to prevent the spread of such strains.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Hypermucoviscous, Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, Multidrug-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, String test, Virulence genes |
| Subjects: | Medicine > Medicine, General & Internal |
| Divisions: | Engineering and Technology > Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Chennai, India Medicine > Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, India |
| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email techsupport@mosys.org |
| Last Modified: | 06 Feb 2026 07:12 |
| URI: | https://ir.vmrfdu.edu.in/id/eprint/6949 |
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