First case report of non-human primates (Alouatta clamitans) with the hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype K1 strain ST 23: A possible emerging wildlife pathogen.

BACKGROUND: Hypervirulent strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype K1 isolates have recently emerged, causing severe pyogenic liver abscess complicated by devastating metastatic infections in humans.

METHODS: We describe a short outbreak of the non-human primate (NHP) research center, associated with a hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. The genetic similarity of the strains was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) techniques, and virulence encoding genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS: The isolates were phenotypically like strains causing community-acquired invasive liver abscess syndrome in humans. All strains exhibited identical PFGE patterns and were found to belong to ST23 and presented a hypermucovisity phenotype and possessed magA and rmpA gene.

CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of NHPs caused by K. pneumoniae displaying a hypermucoviscosity phenotype and belonging to capsular serotypes K1 and ST23.