title: Iron availability and infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To successfully sustain an infection, nearly all bacteria, fungi and protozoa require a continuous supply of host iron.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mechanisms of microbial iron acquisition are determinants for the kinds of cells, tissues and hosts in which pathogens can flourish. As a corollary, hosts possess an array of iron withholding devices whereby they can suppress or abort microbial invasions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of environmental and behavioral methods that can prevent iron loading plus development of pharmaceutical agents that can block microbial access to iron may help to reduce our dependence on antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Program in Medical Sciences Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, IN 47405 USA. eweinber@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Eugene D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Weinberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009181:Mycoses / Q000503:physiopathology; D014774:Virulence / Q000502:physiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D007501:Iron