Virus-induced fever might change bacteria from commensal to pathogen

Neisseria meningitidis may cause septicemia (bacteria in the blood) and meningitis (infection of the membrane surrounding the brain), but the bacterium colonizes the nasopharynx in 10-20% of the human population without causing disease. Although understanding how the bacterium changes from a commensal to a pathogen has been elusive, an important property is believed to be the ability to resist destruction by the immune response. Fever caused by a viral infection might be the trigger that makes N. meningitidis evade immunity.

Read more: 
Virus-induced fever might change bacteria from commensal to pathogen

Source: Virology blog
Image credits: Vincent Racaniello

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaboratoryEQAS

Twitter: LaboratoryEQAS

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/labmed/medical-laboratory-and-biomedical-science/