The things Salmonella doesn't want you to know

Salmonella is a pathogenic bacterium mostly related to food poisoning. Though Salmonella infection is not life-threatening in healthy people, it may constitute a major risk to immune-deficient individuals. In several mice models, exposure to salmonella causes death within days. Presently, the mechanism underlaying this infection-induced mortality is poorly understood. In a new article published in PLoS biology, Dr. Shai Bel and his group present a sophisticated process in which the salmonella evolved to manipulate its host's immune system to its own benefit. When salmonella is ingested, it has to compete with the natural microbiota preexisting in the gut for the scarce nutrient resources available in this environment. Hence, the salmonella induces acute inflammation in the intestine, including the secretion of interleukin 1β (IL-1β). IL-1β activates a cascade of events that damage the microbiota, enabling the salmonella to create a comfortable niche for itself and further inflict disastrous disease on its host.