‘Bacterial vampirism’: Deadly pathogens attracted to human blood, study finds – GLOBAL
April 16, 2024
Some of the world’s most deadly bacteria exhibit a peculiar craving for human blood, a discovery shedding new light on the mechanics of bloodstream infections and possible treatments.
Termed “bacterial vampirism” by researchers, this phenomenon, detailed in a study published Tuesday in the journal eLife, found that certain bacteria are drawn to the liquid component of blood, known as serum, where they scavenge for essential nutrients.
“This chemical that’s in our blood that we use for food is also something that these pathogenic bacteria recognize as food… they are attracted to human blood and that’s why they’re swimming towards it,” explained Arden Baylink, a professor at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and corresponding author for the research.
“This includes a lot of bacteria that people are probably familiar with… E coli and salmonella,” he told Global News.
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/10426468/bacterial-vampirism-pahtogens-attracted-human-blood-study/
