Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis in Africa and South Asia, and it is estimated that a K. pneumoniae vaccine administered to pregnant women could potentially avert 80,000 neonatal deaths annually. However, there are many different capsular (K) and lipopolysaccharide (O) antigen types in the K. pneumoniae population, making vaccine design difficult. In this study, Thomas Stanton and colleagues use whole genome sequencing to evaluate the prevalence of K. pneumoniae K and O antigen types in 13 countries in Africa and South Asia to help inform vaccine design against neonatal sepsis. The authors find that a single vaccine against 20 K antigens could theoretically cover ≥70% of K. pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in Africa and South Asia.
Image Credit: Brandon Clifton via Unsplash
Editorial
Intervention research to protect human health in the era of climate extremes
PLOS Medicine: published January 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004918
Perspectives
The nature and nurture of mental health problems in the family
PLOS Medicine: published January 6, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004867
Context matters: Causality and global epidemiology of proton pump inhibitor safety
PLOS Medicine: published January 7, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004862
Related Articles
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for obesity: Growing popularity met with growing questions over safety
PLOS Medicine: published January 14, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004871
Missing tissue, missing data: Resolving brain volume loss caused by anti-amyloid therapies
PLOS Medicine: published January 20, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004880
Beyond the hype: Antibody-Drug Conjugates are advancing faster than our clinical strategy
PLOS Medicine: published January 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004930
Research Articles
Taxation of foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium in India: A modelling study of health and economic impacts
PLOS Medicine: published January 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004572
Sex-specific associations between surgery-induced weight loss and cancer outcomes: A post hoc analysis of the prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects study
PLOS Medicine: published January 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004876
Inequalities in cancer mortality between people with and without disability: A nationwide data linkage study of 10 million adults in Australia
PLOS Medicine: published January 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004873
Association between proton pump inhibitor use and upper gastrointestinal cancer: A matched case-control study accounting for reverse causation and confounding by indication
PLOS Medicine: published January 6, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004842
Related Articles
Public health impacts of increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol in Scotland: A model-based appraisal
PLOS Medicine: published January 8, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004792
Distribution of capsule and O types in Klebsiella pneumoniae causing neonatal sepsis in Africa and South Asia: A meta-analysis of genome-predicted serotype prevalence to inform potential vaccine coverage
PLOS Medicine: published January 12, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004879
Multiview deep-learning-enabled histopathology for prognostic and therapeutic stratification in stage II colorectal cancer: A retrospective multicenter study
PLOS Medicine: published January 13, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004614
Evaluating the clinical utility of large language models for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment recommendations: A nationwide retrospective registry study
PLOS Medicine: published January 13, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004855
Related Articles
The benefits and risks of maternal RSV vaccination on mortality in South Africa: A modeling study
PLOS Medicine: published January 20, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004625
Psychological distress among Japanese high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An energy landscape analysis
PLOS Medicine: published January 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004884
Pregnancy outcomes in women at high risk of preterm birth receiving a vaginal cervical cerclage with, or without, progesterone: A retrospective, secondary analysis of the C-STICH randomised controlled trial data
PLOS Medicine: published January 23, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004513
Leukemia in users of contemporary hormonal contraception: A nationwide registry-based cohort study among premenopausal women in Denmark
PLOS Medicine: published January 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004652
Corrections
Correction: The association between antihypertensive treatment and serious adverse events by age and frailty: A cohort study
PLOS Medicine: published January 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004885
Related Articles
Correction: Sex-specific associations of adiposity with cardiometabolic traits in the UK: A multi-life stage cohort study with repeat metabolomics
PLOS Medicine: published January 23, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004901