Does the possession of virulence factor genes mean that those genes will be active?
There are a number of relationships the host can establish with the microbes we ingest. For the vast majority of microbes, they have a short-lived liaison with the human host. Either they are destroyed by the stomach acid or bile, or can not establish even a temporary residency in the gastrointestinal tract. Early in life the mucosal surfaces of the body establishes a resident, and generally stable, normal flora. These normal flora microbes, the majority of which are bacteria, have specific receptors for specific areas of the alimentary tract. If the foreign microbe can establish residency, it then may transiently or permanently become part of the normal flora. However, in order to produce disease, it must possess an additional set of virulence factors. While some of these are known, many are not. Those that are known include enzymes, such as protease, lipase, and esterase. Accordingly, VFAR may not be associated with human disease and its presence or absence has no public health meaning.
Edberg
Stephen C
SC
Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine and Chemical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208035, New Haven, CT 06520-8035, USA. stephen.edberg@yale.edu
D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D001435:Bacteriophages; D003458:Cryptosporidium; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D010957:Plasmids; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014871:Water Microbiology
D005819:Genetic Markers; D037521:Virulence Factors