Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria, and clinically the most important member of the Klebsiella genus of Enterobacteriaceae. It can cause pneumonia although it more commonly implicated in hospital-acquired urinary tract and wound infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems. It is an increasing problem on hospitals because of the evolution of antibiotic resistant strains.

The Danish scientist Hans Christian Gram (1853-1928), developed the technique now known as Gram staining in 1884 to discriminate between K. pneumoniae and pneumococci.

External links

• Diseases, symptoms, diagnosis of K. pneumoniae (University of Florida)
• Virtual museum of bacteria page on K. pneumoniae