Which is true about Klebsiella infections?

Predisposing factors for Klebsiella .............. Klebsiella and the related Serratia and Enterobacter are the most impoant enteric organisms other than E. coli to infect humans. Although respiratory disease is impoant (Klebsiella accounts for 1 % or less of community-acquired pneumonia), most clinical isolates now come from the urinary tract. All three genera are impoant pulmonary nosocomial pathogens. However, merely finding these organisms growing in the sputum of a very ill hospitalized patient does not necessarily implicate the bacteria as pathogenic in that paicular circumstance and may indicate colonization rather than infection. Clinical context and procurement of the sample in a sterile fashion (transtracheal aspiration, bronchoscopy) will aid in the diagnosis Chronic alcoholics, diabetics, and those with chronic lung disease are at increased risk for Klebsiella pneumonia, a difficult disease to treat because of the frequency of suppurative complications (empyema and abscess) with the associated requirement for prolonged (>2 weeks) therapy.