Klebsiella

Question 1

General characteristics (3)

Answer 1

NON-MOTILE

POLYSACCHARIDE CAPSULE

LACTOSE-FERMENTING, PINK, MUCOID (due to capsule) colonies on MACKONEY agar

Question 2

Klebsiella species (6)

Answer 2

K.pneumoniae 
K.aerogenes
K.rhinoscelromatis
K.ozaenae
K.oxytoca
K.granulomatis

Question 3

Nosocomial infections (3)

Answer 3

UTI

Respiratory tract infection (bronchopneumonia)

Wound infection

Question 4

Rhinoscelroma

Answer 4

(By K.rhinoscelromatis)

Granulomatous infiltration of submucosa affecting nose, larynx, throat, trachea

Question 5

Ozaena

Answer 5

(By K.ozaenae)

Atrophic rhinitis (wasting of nasal mucosa)

Question 6

Antibiotic-associated Hemorhhagic Colitis

Answer 6

(By K.oxytoca)

Main cause —> Clostridium difficile

Question 7

Donovanosis

Answer 7

(By K.granulomatis)

STD

Question 8

Virulence Factors (6)

Answer 8

1- LONG CHAIN LPS —> Protects from OPSONIZATION and COMPLEMENT
2- CAPSULE —> Protects from PHAGOCYTOSIS
3- FIMBRIAE (Type 1) —> ADHESION to tissues
4- SIDEROPHORE —> IRON AQCUSITION
5- HYPERMUCOVISOSITY —> (excessive polysaccharide capsule production) —> confers HIGH SERUM RESISTANCE and correlates HIGHLY INVASIVE infection (LIVER ABSCESS)
6- ESBL and CARBAPENEMASE —> VIRULENCE and OUTBREAKS

Question 9

How are capsular types determined?

Answer 9

Quellung reaction (agglutination)