A promising bioconjugate vaccine against hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

Significance Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered a nosocomial pathogen, usually infecting immunocompromised patients. However, a pathotype of K. pneumoniae , termed hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hv Kp ), has emerged and is spreading throughout the community, causing severe, often fatal, disease in healthy individuals. Moreover, reports on multidrug-resistant hv Kp isolates are increasing in frequency. It is imperative that strategies to combat hv Kp begin immediately to prevent further dissemination of this new class of “superbugs.” Here, we show that bioconjugate vaccines targeting the capsule of hv Kp can provide immunity and protection against extremely lethal hv Kp strains. Further, we demonstrate that bioconjugation is a promising technology for rapid development of efficacious vaccines against emerging bacterial threats.