<i>Klebsiella oxytoca</i> : an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that poses challenges for treatment and vaccine development

<i>Klebsiella oxytoca</i> is a clinically significant opportunistic bacterium that contributes to global morbidity and mortality. Despite its clinical relevance, the genomic diversity, virulence factors, and immune evasion mechanisms of this pathogen are not yet fully elucidated. This review provides an overview of current knowledge on antibiotic resistance in <i>K. oxytoca</i>, a characteristic that poses a significant challenge to therapeutic options. We discuss available bacterial vaccines and their role in mitigating antimicrobial resistance, reducing infection rates, and lowering antibiotic use. We also examine the challenges of developing a vaccine against <i>K. oxytoca</i> using traditional approaches, including reliance on animal testing, high production costs, and the lengthy timelines associated with vaccine development. We also suggest that emerging tools such as subtractive proteomics, reverse vaccinology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning offer promising effects to accelerate the identification of vaccine candidates against this pathogen even though few studies have applied these tools specifically to <i>K. oxytoca</i>. Overall, despite progress in understanding <i>K. oxytoca</i>, further research is needed to develop innovative therapeutic and preventive strategies, including effective vaccines.