Washington State University Discovers Vampire Bacteria!

Who had vampiric bacteria on their 2024 apocalypse BINGO card?

If you did, you can thank researchers at Washington State University for discovering deadly bacteria that love human blood!

"Bacterial Vampirism" is the new find where bacteria seek out and feed on human blood.

According to the research from WSU, these bacteria are attracted to serum (the liquid part of the blood). That is the part that contains nutrients that can act as food for the bacteria.

The bacteria is believed to be fond of an amino acid in the serum called Serine. If Serine sounds familiar, then you might be a fan of protein drinks since that is a common ingredient.

So far, researchers have found 3 different bacteria types attracted to serum in human blood.

Salmonella enterica
Escherichia coli
Citrobacter koseri

How can these types of bacteria be deadly? If they get into the bloodstream, it can cause some trouble, especially for people with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

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How can this knowledge of 'Bacterial Vampirism' be helpful?

According to WSU Ph.D. student Siena Glenn, learning how bacteria seek out blood could lead to the creation of new drugs that block the bacteria's ability to do so, allowing patients to live longer and happier lives.

For more information on this fascinating study, visit eLifeSciences.org.

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