Nature Communications (Jan 2020)

Systemic infection facilitates transmission of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice

  • Kelly E. R. Bachta,
  • Jonathan P. Allen,
  • Bettina H. Cheung,
  • Cheng-Hsun Chiu,
  • Alan R. Hauser

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14363-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia is presumed to be a ‘dead-end’ for the pathogen and to have no impact on transmission. Here the authors show, in mice, that the bacteria can spread from the bloodstream via the gallbladder to the intestines and feces, leading to transmission to uninfected animals.