Confronting carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

The ongoing spread of carbapenemase-producing (CP) multidrug-resistant enterobacteria, primarily Klebsiella pneumoniae, has undoubtedly caused a public health crisis of unprecedented dimensions. The scientific community has been struggling with these highly problematic nosocomial pathogens for more than a decade. Faced with the current situation, one cannot help but wish we could have done better, earlier. However, significant steps have been and are currently being made towards a better understanding of transmission routes of CP microorganisms and in designing strategies that could effectively curb this devastating epidemic. Most importantly, the systematic evaluation of accumulating experimental and clinical data has paved the way to a more rational management of CP-infected patients. In addition, systematic efforts of the industry have led to the development of novel antibacterial agents that are active against CP strains and expected to be introduced to clinical practice in the immediate future.