Salmonella bacteria
Scientists have discovered a bacteria 'alarm clock' that wakes dormant Salmonella in the body, allowing the bug to trigger a repeat infection. The researchers, from Imperial College London , say the 'alarm clock' is shared among different types of bacteria - including Salmonella and E. coli. The findings may explain why some people suffer repeated bouts of infections - for instance ear or urinary tract infections - despite taking antibiotics. The team now hope to use these findings to tackle hard-to-treat infections. This is why, for instance, a woman may think she has recovered from a urinary tract infection - and yet days or weeks later it seems to return. Dr Sophie Helaine Study author Dr Sophie Helaine , lead author of the research from the Department of Medicine at Imperial, said: "Whenever bacteria such as Salmonella invade the body, around a third of the bugs 'cloak' themselves as a defence mechanism against the body's immune system. They enter a type of stand-by mode possibly to hide from the body's immune system, that means they are not killed by antibiotics.
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