Shigella bacteria can infect humans but not mice. A team from UConn Health has explained why. Their findings may shed light on the multifariousness of a key weapon of our immune system.
Shigella infections cause fever, stomach pain, and prolonged, sometimes bloody diarrhea for as long as a week. The bacteria sicken 450,000 people each year in the US alone. Although most people recover on their own, children and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of Shigella infections spreading to their bloodstream and causing kidney damage.