AUTHOR=Zhu Jie , Wang Tao , Chen Liang , Du Hong 

TITLE=Virulence Factors in Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.642484

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.642484

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Hypervirulent <italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</italic> (hvKP) has spread globally since first described in the Asian Pacific Rim. It is an invasive variant that differs from the classical <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic> (cKP), with hypermucoviscosity and hypervirulence, causing community-acquired infections, including pyogenic liver abscess, pneumonia, meningitis, and endophthalmitis. It utilizes a battery of virulence factors for survival and pathogenesis, such as capsule, siderophores, lipopolysaccharide, fimbriae, outer membrane proteins, and type 6 secretion system, of which the former two are dominant. This review summarizes these hvKP-associated virulence factors in order to understand its molecular pathogenesis and shed light on new strategies to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hvKP-causing infection.</p>