HEALTH
Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which salmonella, a bacteria responsible for food poisoning, fosters its growth inside the human intestine.
University of California, Davis, researchers have discovered how the bacteria Salmonella enterica, a common cause of food poisoning, fosters its own growth inside the human intestine.
"We have discovered salmonella's cunning trick that allows it to quickly take over and outgrow the beneficial microbes in our intestine," Nature quoted Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical microbiology and immunology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study, as saying.
When people ingest salmonella, it invades the surface of the intestine. Our immune system responds by producing oxygen radicals to kill the bacteria. Though some salmonella bacteria are killed by this response, many more benefit: the oxygen radicals create a sulphur compound called tetrathionate, which salmonella are able to use instead of oxygen for respiration — which helps their survival.
"This gives salmonella a tremendous advantage over the gut bacteria that must grow by fermentation," said Sebastian E Winter, a member of Bäumler's laboratory and lead author of the article.
Salmonella is frequently in the news as a source of food poisoning outbreaks, usually from eating poorly cooked or unhygienically prepared eggs or meat.
Salmonella infection, known as salmonellosis, causes diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Though most people recover after several days, it could be fatal, especially in the elderly, infants, and people with compromised immune systems.
Additionally, it stimulates an inflammatory response in the intestine, causing the severe diarrhoea and vomiting which is the body's attempt to free itself of the pathogenic bacteria, at the same time enabling salmonella's spread.
"Finding that tetrathionate is important in human salmonella infection opens up new avenues for research in finding an effective treatment for salmonellosis," said Bäumler.
"We are hopeful that by targeting sulphur compounds we can stop the bacteria from establishing a foothold in the intestine," he said.
The findings are published in the September 23 issue of the journal Nature.
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