2026 Volume 79 Issue 3 Pages 104-106
Klebsiella variicola, often misidentified as Klebsiella pneumoniae, is gaining recognition as a pathogen. This study reports the first human case of infection with K. variicola harboringblaCTX-M-14 in Japan. MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to confirm that clinical isolates from urine and blood cultures were K. variicola. The infection was successfully treated with cefmetazole. Whole-genome sequencing identified blaCTX-M-14 in an 8,066 bp plasmid. Given the rarity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-positive K. variicola infections in Japan, this case highlights the importance of accurately identifying and monitoring multidrug-resistant pathogens.
