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The bacteria Haemophilus influenzae is a type of bacteria in the respiratory tract that can cause ear infections and worsen the prognosis for COPD patients. In rare cases, it can also lead to meningitis and septicaemia.
"By accepting help from a specific protein, theHaemophilus bacteria can feed each other with iron and thus favour their survival in the human body. This interaction between the bacteria is a new discovery that has an impact on future research and on the development of vaccines and treatments," said Kristian Riesbeck, senior consultant and professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University.
All living organisms in the body need iron to survive. The iron can be captured via proteins that circulate in the blood. Earlier research from the same research group, as well as others, has shown that the surface layer of the bacteria is designed to enable the right type of proteins to attach.
"The iron in the body is strongly bound, but the bacteria try to get at it in various ways," explained Kristian Riesbeck.