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A dangerous bacterium – Klebsiella Pneumoniae, which became resistant to antibiotics, attacked one of the tourist resorts. On the popular island of Gran Canaria, also visited by many Poles, already 13 people have been infected. The services are alerting about the “cross-border threat” of the spread of pneumonia, which no drugs can cope with.
Pneumonia is on the prowl in the Canaries
The alert was raised by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). According to the institution’s data, 13 people have already contracted the antibiotic-resistant superbug Klebsiella Pneumoniae during their stay in Gran Canaria.
This number may seem small, but it should be taken into account that the island is visited by 15 million tourists a year, including many Poles. ECDC warns that the threat from Gran Canaria could spread to the whole of Europe. ECDC cautions tourists not to use health services in Gran Canaria.
All medical services in the Canary Islands have been called upon to take action to prevent the spread of dangerous bacteria among patients and to register all cases of infection caused by Klebsiella Pneumoniae.
Klebsiella pneumoniae – bacteria resistant to antibiotics
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacillus pneumonia. Its name can be a bit misleading as the bacteria can cause not only lung inflammation but also urinary tract, bone and joint infections. This strain can also lead to meningitis in young children. In extreme cases, sepsis develops.
You can get infected with pneumonia via droplets. It is enough to be around the person who is talking and coughing. Another way of infection is through the ingestion. If your hands are dirty while eating, or the meal itself contains pneumonia, there is a close road to contamination.
The easiest way to catch it is while in hospital. These types of bacteria spread very quickly among patients whose immune systems are usually not as efficient as in healthy people. Unfortunately, in some cases, the infection can be fatal in just a few hours.
The attack of the bacteria occurs unexpectedly. It manifests itself with sudden fever, shortness of breath, cough and chest pain. The patient is able to cough up blood along with purulent discharge.
Klebsiella pneumoniae was first detected in 1996 on the US East Coast. Five years later, it was already present in China, France, Israel, Colombia and Brazil. Its first strain was noticed in Poland in 2008. Importantly, most of the available antibiotics do not work against pneumonia. It is a bacterium that is extremely resistant to treatment.
Prepared on the basis of: innpoland.pl / Zdrowie.radiozet.pl