Klebsiella pneumoniae necrotizing fasciitis in a Latin American male

Necrotizing fasciitis, caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, is a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection. Most documented cases have been reported from Asia, particularly associated with diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of this infection in the USA is rare, especially among persons of non-Asian descent and those without travel to Asia. We report a case of disseminated necrotizing fasciitis, caused by K. pneumoniae, in a Latin American male with diabetes mellitus. Given our review of the literature, this is the only case report, to our knowledge, of a Latin American patient with Klebsiella necrotizing fasciitis in the USA. This case may reflect the geographical spread and emergence of K. pneumoniae infection in the USA. Clinicians need to be aware of the possible relationship between this organism and necrotizing fasciitis in persons of Latin American descent with diabetes mellitus. © 2012 SGM.