Is persistent bacterial infection good for your health?
Certain bacterial pathogens have evolved to survive in their human hosts for long periods without causing harm. Is it possible that these persistent bacterial infections provide a protective benefit to the host?
Falkow
Stanley
S
Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. falkow@stanford.edu
D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*