Fast-changing genetics key to hospital superbug survival

A highly drug-resistant bacteria common in hospitals, Klebsiella pneumoniae, represents a significant antimicrobial resistance threat and should be monitored globally, say researchers. The warning follows new genetic analyses revealing how K. pneumoniae are able to quickly evolve to change their genetic makeup. This has implications for understanding how several species of bacteria — called Enterobacteriaceae — can rapidly adapt to essentially any antibiotic currently used in treatment.