The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus has long been known to cause infections in humans, ranging from mild skin infections to pneumonia to more serious infections of the heart. In high-income countries, it’s the leading cause of a sometimes-fatal condition known as infective endocarditis, involving inflammation of the heart’s valves or lining.
Now, in a new study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine describe another way the bacterium can cause harm: by undermining the body’s ability to heal from those infections.
The findings may point the way toward improving treatment of infections with S. aureus, more commonly called a staph infection.
Read full story at https://news.wisc.edu/new-understanding-of-superantigens-could-lead-to-improved-staph-infection-treatments/