31 patients infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae at Virginia Mason in Seattle
Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is investigating 31 patients infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae at the hospital. Four of those patients have died.
What is Klebsiella pneumoniae?
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacteria that can cause different types of healthcare-associated infections, according to the CDC. These include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical site infections, and meningitis. Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria have developed antimicrobial resistance, most recently to a class of antibiotics known as carbapenems. This makes infections much more difficult to treat.
Carbapenem resistance is the same type of bacterial antibiotic resistance that has led to a worldwide recall of over-the-counter eyedrops, where multiple people have become blind or died as a result of pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The Stritmatter Firm represents the family of one of the individuals who died from using these eye drops.
When AND HOW were patients infected?
Virginia Mason reports on its website that it detected an increase in Klebsiella pneumoniae starting in October 2022. The last “confirmed case was identified on April 3.”
The 31 cases are considered “related,” likely meaning Virginia Mason identified them as the same strain, from a common source. The source of the Virginia Mason infections is “still under investigation,” according to the hospital.
How are people infected?
Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria are normally found in the intestines, where they do not cause disease. To cause an infection, Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria must enter the respiratory tract (breathing) to cause pneumonia, or the blood to cause a blood stream infection.
Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria can spread through person-to-person contact (contaminated hands), or less commonly by contamination of the environment, such as hospital surfaces. The bacteria are not spread through the air. In hospitals, patients can be exposed to Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria when they are on ventilators, have IV catheters, or by wounds caused by surgery or injury.
People who are sick, immunocompromised or have had lengthy antibiotic treatment are at the highest risk of being infected.
How is Klebsiella pneumoniae diagnosed and how is it treated?
Healthcare providers diagnose Klebsiella pneumoniae with lab tests. It is usually treated with antibiotics and instructions that must be strictly followed.
The Stritmatter Firm has extensive experience in representing victims of hospital infections and drug-resistant infections, including the Seattle Children’s Aspergillus mold outbreak and a class action for child patients. Our firm also has significant experience representing victims of mass tort cases—we were the lead attorneys for the Ride the Ducks case. If you or anyone you know has been affected by the Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak at Virginia Mason in Seattle, please feel free to reach out, even if just to talk and understand what your options are.
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Update April 28, 2023
Public Health - Seattle & King County has posted Q&A online about the outbreak. Of note:
“One of the reasons Public Health is concerned about the bacteria circulating in this outbreak is because it has a specific enzyme that breaks down common types of antibiotics, making them ineffective.”
“It’s a positive sign that over the course of the investigation, the number of patients who have the associated Klebsiella outbreak strain has decreased.”
Seven people infected with Klebsiella have now died.
“We have not identified a source and may never do so. We continue to consult with CDC, however, there are many reasons why source identification can be difficult.”
“There is no clear incubation period for this type of infection, so people can have Klebsiella bacteria without showing symptoms for a long time (weeks to months), making it very difficult to identify where and when someone may have been infected.”
Virginia Mason has updated its page here. The Seattle Times continues to update its reporting here.