Study: Bacteria with taste for human blood could lead to IBD breakthrough

Researchers at Washington State University have discovered that some of the deadliest bacteria likes to feed on human blood. Scientists are calling it “bacterial vampirism.” The new study reveals that these organisms are attracted to nutrients in human blood.

The learnings from the study could pave the way for medical innovations like curing bloodstream infections. Researchers found that bacteria like salmonella and E. coli have an affinity for serine, an amino acid in human blood and also commonly used in protein shakes.

“Bacteria infecting the bloodstream can be lethal,” Arden Baylink, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, said. “We learned some of the bacteria that most commonly cause bloodstream infections actually sense a chemical in human blood and swim toward it.”

Using microscopic technology, the team of researchers simulated intestinal bleeding to study how bacteria move towards the serum injected into the system. The bacteria were fast to respond, reaching the serum source in under 60 seconds.

Now, researchers are figuring out why these bacteria have a particular taste for blood and how they can detect the nutrients so quickly.

Scientists said by learning how these bacteria detects sources in blood, they can develop drugs to block the ability. The study may help people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who are at high-risk of bloodstream infections.

These bacteria are reportedly the leading cause of death in people with IBD. Those who suffer from the disease often have intestinal bleeding, which can become entry points for bacteria into the bloodstream.