Klebsiella oxytoca belongs to the large enterobacter family of bacteria whose members also include E coli and salmonella. Klebsiella oxytoca may cause infections of the urinary tract, the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract or, in serious cases, the blood. These infections may be community-acquired or sometimes a person may develop the infection while he is a patient in a hospital. Klebsiella oxytoca infections may be resistant to common antibiotics, and in that case long-term treatment with more powerful drugs is sometimes needed to cure the patient.
Urinary Tract Infection
Klebsiella oxytoca is normally found in the gastrointestinal tract along with other types of bacteria. Occasionally, it may spread from the anus to the urethral opening where it can move inside the bladder to cause an infection, or cystitis. Cystitis produces symptoms of burning or pain on urination and a frequent need to urinate even if the bladder is not full. A bladder infection that worsens may spread to the kidneys, leading to a more serious condition called pyelonephritis with symptoms that may include lower back pain, nausea and vomiting.
Gastrointestinal Infection
According to a study reported in the Dec. 7, 2006, issue of "The New England Journal of Medicine", infection with Klebsiella oxytoca may also cause severe cases of colitis that produce gastrointestinal upset and bloody diarrhea. These infections are sometimes caused by treatment of a patient with antibiotics. When antibiotic treatment is discontinued, the symptoms will gradually disappear.
Respiratory Infection
According to information from the March 1983 journal "Thorax," Klebsiella oxytoca may also cause respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Symptoms include coughing, chest pain, fever, shortness of breath and general weakness. Pneumonia is usually treated with a course of intravenously administered antibiotics and sometimes requires hospitalization.
Septicemia
Klebsiella oxytoca may also cause septicemia, which is a serious infection in the blood. Septicemia usually develops when an infection somewhere else in the body gains access to the bloodstream. Early symptoms are fever, chills, and hyperventilation. As the infection worsens, the person may become groggy and the body temperature may drop. Septicemia can develop into a life-threatening illness and always requires immediate medical treatment.
References
- Merck Manual of Health and Aging: Urinary Tract Infections
- National Kidney and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Pyelonephritis
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Klebsiella Oxytoca and Hemorrhagic Colitis; Dr. Christoph Högenauer et al.; Dec. 7, 2006
- "Thorax"; Klebsiella Oxytoca and Respiratory Infection; J. T. Power and M. A. Calder; March 1983
- MedlinePlus: Septicemia
