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DavidDvorkin

(19,479 posts)
Sat Feb 18, 2012, 12:11 PM Feb 2012

Nasty 'Superbug' Emerging? Strikes Otherwise Healthy, Young Patients

University at Buffalo researchers are expressing concern about a new, under-recognized, much more potent variant of a common bacterium that has surfaced in the U.S.

"Historically, in Western countries, classical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae have caused infections mostly in sick, hospitalized patients whose host defense systems are compromised," says Thomas Russo, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and head of its Infectious Disease Division.

"But in the last 10 to 15 years, a new variant of it has begun causing community-acquired infection in young, healthy individuals," he says. "This variant causes serious, life-threatening, invasive infections and is able to spread to other organs from the initial site of infection."


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217221159.htm
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