Pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA) are severe infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While their incidence is considered low in Western countries, preliminary data suggest that Guadeloupe may represent a high-incidence area, with approximately 40–50 cases per year at the University Hospital of Guadeloupe alone. In addition to classical polymicrobial etiologies, an increasing number of community-acquired PLA caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) have been observed, often in patients without travel history to Asia, where this pathogen is classically endemic.
The PYG project is a prospective, monocentric, non-interventional study aiming to characterize the microbial etiology of pyogenic liver abscesses in Guadeloupe using complementary conventional microbiology and high-throughput sequencing approaches. Residual clinical samples (pus from liver abscess aspiration) and bacterial isolates collected during routine care are analyzed.
The project has three main objectives: (i) to describe the microbial spectrum of PLA in Guadeloupe, (ii) to identify clinical and epidemiological factors associated with K. pneumoniae liver abscesses, and (iii) to characterize the genomic features of K. pneumoniae isolates, with a particular focus on hypervirulence determinants and antimicrobial resistance genes. Metagenomic ARN16 S on abscess pus complements culture-based approaches, especially in culture-negative cases.
Overall, this study aims to improve the understanding of PLA epidemiology in the Caribbean, document the emergence of hvKp outside Asia, and generate genomic data that will serve as a foundation for future One Health investigations targeting environmental and animal reservoirs.
