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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness

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Secondary bacterial infections in influenza virus infection pathogenesis

Amber M Smith1, Jonathan A McCullers

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA, amber.smith@stjude.org.

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
|July 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Influenza coinfections with bacteria are complex, driven by viral and bacterial factors. Understanding these interactions is key to developing new treatments for severe respiratory infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Influenza infections frequently lead to secondary bacterial coinfections.
  • Bacterial pathogens colonize the respiratory tract and invade tissues during influenza.
  • Coinfection severity depends on viral and bacterial virulence factors and host immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding influenza-associated bacterial coinfections.
  • To discuss the mechanisms driving coinfection pathogenicity.
  • To identify knowledge gaps for future research and therapeutic development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on influenza-bacterial coinfections.
  • Analysis of data from animal and kinetic models.
  • Discussion of viral-bacterial interactions and host immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Influenza alters host defenses, facilitating bacterial colonization and invasion.
  • Epithelial damage and aberrant immune responses contribute to severe inflammation and infection.
  • Site- and strain-specific differences influence coinfection outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to elucidate the full spectrum of mechanisms in diverse coinfections.
  • New strategies for prevention and treatment of influenza-associated bacterial infections are required.

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