A 5-year study of the seroepidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae: high prevalence of capsular serotype K1 in Taiwan and implication for vaccine efficacy.
Seroepidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae was determined for 1000 nonrepetitive K. pneumoniae isolates collected by a medical center in Taiwan during 1993-1997. Of these, 630 isolates (63%) were from community-acquired infections; the rest were from hospital-acquired infections. The isolates were serotyped according to capsular antigen by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis. About 77% were typeable. Serotypes K1 and K2 accounted for 21.7% and 9.3% of the isolates, respectively, followed by K57 (5.1%), K54 (4.2%), K21 (3. 3%), and K16 (3%). The frequency of serotype K1 among bacteremic isolates (30.8%) far exceeded that reported by other investigators worldwide. Molecular typing of random K1 isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed several different pulsotypes, suggesting a nonclonal spread. This study indicates that a Klebsiella vaccine developed in Europe is not optimal for use in Taiwan because it does not contain the most predominant serotypes-K1, K54, and K57.
Fung
C P
CP
1Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hu
B S
BS
Chang
F Y
FY
Lee
S C
SC
Kuo
B I
BI
Ho
M
M
Siu
L K
LK
Liu
C Y
CY
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D012703:Serotyping; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000494:pharmacology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination