Bacterial Virulence Factors and Their Contribution to Pathophysiology after Thermal Injury
Saira Nisar1, Liam D Kirkpatrick1, Jeffrey W Shupp1,2,3,4
1Firefighters' Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract:
Bacterial infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in burn-injured patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are among the most common pathogens responsible for infections in thermally injured patients. These and other pathogens have developed a variety of virulence factors to colonize and infect hosts. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to best summarize the current knowledge of how virulence factors contribute to bacterial pathogenicity. The review highlights the unique mechanisms bacteria utilize to evade host defense systems and further complicate the treatment of burn-injured patients. Further research on virulence factors and their contribution to bacterial pathogenicity is warranted and could potentially lead to development of neutralizing pharmacotherapy that would complement antimicrobial treatment.
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