Editorial: Klebsiella pneumoniae: Antimicrobial resistance, virulence and therapeutic strategies

Klebsiella pneumoniae: Antimicrobial resistance, virulence and therapeutic strategies Klebsiella pneumoniae is a member of the ESKAPE organisms which include 6 wellknown highly virulent and antimicrobial-resistant clinical pathogens K. pneumoniae has gained the ability to acquire external genetic materials that enable it to undergo constant evolution The pathotypes reported to be associated with infections included classical (cKP) and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP), with the former known for the capacity to acquire resistance to a wide range of antibiotics and the latter exhibiting high pathogenicity and leading to high mortality in otherwise immunocompromised hosts (Paczosa and Mecsas, 2016). To date, more than 100 distinct acquired antimicrobial resistance genes have been identified in K. pneumoniae (Wyres and Holt, 2016). Furthermore, apart from the well-established factors that help K. pneumoniae escape the innate immune mechanisms of the host, new virulence factors have been discovered Continuous effort is necessary to better understand this 'superbug' and help design feasible approaches to eradicate or halt its further evolution. As a step towards countering the threat of K. pneumoniae, our Research Topic brings a collection of seven selected articles exploring its molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogenesis.