Shan-Shan Jin,1,2,* Wei-Qin Wang,1,* Yi-Han Jiang,1,* Yue-Tian Yu,3 Rui-Lan Wang1,2 

1Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Rui-Lan Wang, Email wangyusun@hotmail.com

Abstract: Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is a notable pathogen responsible for various infections. The emergence of hypervirulent and carbapenem-resistant strains has raised global concern. Many novel approaches were developed to combat the current severe situation of antibiotic resistance, and clinical guidelines have also provided corresponding recommendations. This review highlights the critical aspects of Kp, including classification, virulence factors, systemic dissemination, drug resistance progression and the new therapeutic strategies to combat this evolving threat.

Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae, virulence, hypervirulent, carbapenem resistant, evolution, metastatic spread, colonization, capsule types, virulence plasmid