Deadly bacteria show thirst for human blood: Research outlines the phenomenon of bacterial vampirism

Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism."

A team led by Washington State University researchers has found the bacteria are attracted to the liquid part of blood, or serum, which contains nutrients the bacteria can use as food. One of the chemicals the bacteria seemed particularly drawn to was serine, an amino acid found in human blood that is also a common ingredient in protein drinks.

The research finding, published in the journal eLife, provides new insights into how bloodstream infections occur and could potentially be treated.

"Bacteria infecting the bloodstream can be lethal," said Arden Baylink, a professor at WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and corresponding author for the research. "We learned some of the bacteria that most commonly cause bloodstream infections actually sense a chemical in human blood and swim toward it."

Baylink and the lead author on the study, WSU Ph.D. student Siena Glenn, found at least three types of bacteria, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and Citrobacter koseri, are attracted to human serum. These bacteria are a leading cause of death for people who have inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), about 1% of the population. These patients often have intestinal bleeding that can be entry points for the bacteria into the bloodstream.

Zdroj obrázku: Ted S. Warren, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.