TABLE 2.

Major knowledge gaps that exist for hypervirulent K. pneumoniae

Area of interest	Knowledge gap
Epidemiology	Incidence of infection in various countries
	Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance
	Incidence of health care-associated infections
	Mechanism of acquisition
Pathogenesis	Mechanism of entry
	Delineation of hvKp-specific virulence genes and mechanism of action
	Mechanism of metastatic spread
	Factors responsible for tissue damage
	Carcinogenic potential
Host susceptibility	Ethnic/genetic predisposition
Treatment	Optimal approach for source control
	Treatment duration
	Management of endophthamitis, especially for XDR strains
	Role of adjunct therapy
Infection control	Is there a benefit for implementing infection control measures when a hospitalized patient is infected with an hvKp antimicrobial-sensitive strain on a ward or an ICU?
	Is there a benefit for implementing infection control measures when a hospitalized patient is infected with an hvKp antimicrobial-sensitive strain to protect selected patient groups (e.g., those of certain ethnic backgrounds, such as Asian, or immunocompromised hosts)?
	Is there a benefit of prophylaxis for close contacts?