Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 isolated from a Japanese patient without a history of foreign travel - a new public health concern in Japan: a case report

Thus far, studies on Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing organisms have only been reported in those with a history of foreign travel, and a specific Japanese KPC-producing isolate has not yet been reported. We describe a Japanese patient, with no history of travel to foreign countries, admitted due to aspiration pneumonia, and a KPC-producing isolate detected in his sputum. Fortunately, his pneumonia resolved. His close contacts did not have a history of foreign travel, and the isolate was not detected in other patients. The potential for KPC-producing organisms to become endemic in Japan is currently of great concern.