health
A woman got a UTI. Two years later, the bacteria had evolved, invaded her brain.
The case provides a novel report of the emergence of heterovirulence.
TL;DR
- A woman experienced vision loss and brain inflammation due to *Klebsiella pneumoniae* infection.
- Initial samples showed normal bacteria, but subsequent samples from urine and brain revealed hypervirulent strains with thick capsules.
- These hypervirulent bacteria were more resistant to immune cells but grew slower and were less effective at infecting the bladder.
- Genome sequencing indicated the hypervirulent strains evolved from a common ancestor within one to two years prior to the woman's severe symptoms.
- The woman had a urinary tract infection hospitalization two years before her brain abscess, suggesting the origin of the infection.
- This phenomenon, termed 'heterovirulence,' shows bacterial evolution and adaptation within a single patient.
- The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics, and all bacterial isolates were susceptible to treatment.