Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia in a region of Canada

The second case of magA+ rmpA+ hypermucoviscosity phenotype Klebsiella pneumoniae infection was documented in Canada, in an immigrant from Algeria. To ascertain whether this represented recent importation of the strain or local transmission within Canada, a retrospective study of K. pneumoniae bacteraemia was conducted in the region, from 1997 to 2007, and 411 episodes were identified. No epidemiological evidence for local transmission of this strain was found. However, for the first time, the population incidence of K. pneumoniae bacteraemia was determined, which increased by 82% between 1997 and 2007, from 10.2 to 18.7 per 100 000 inhabitants. Incidence increased dramatically with age and with the presence of diabetes, but remained stable over time within each stratum. The proportion of patients with K. pneumoniae bacteraemia who were diabetic increased from 26% (1997-2004) to 42% (2005-2007). The rising incidence of K. pneumoniae bacteraemia may represent an unexpected consequence of the expanding population of adult diabetics.