A Perfect Storm: Increased Colonization and Failure of Vaccination Leads to Severe Secondary Bacterial Infection in Influenza Virus-Infected Obese Mice
IMPORTANCE
Worldwide obesity rates have continued to increase. Obesity is associated with increased severity of influenza virus infection; however, very little is known about respiratory coinfections in this expanding, high-risk population. Our studies utilized a coinfection model to show that obesity increases mortality from secondary bacterial infection following influenza virus challenge through a ?perfect storm? of host factors that lead to excessive viral and bacterial outgrowth. In addition, we found that vaccination of obese mice against either virus or bacteria failed to confer protection against coinfection, but antibiotic treatment did alleviate mortality. Combined, these results represent an understudied and imminent public health concern in a weighty portion of the global population.
- Erik A. Karlssona*,
- Victoria A. Meliopoulosa,
- Nicholas C. van de Veldea,b,
- Lee-Ann van de Veldea,b,
- Beth Manna,
- Geli Gaoa,
- Jason Roscha,
- Elaine Tuomanena,
- Jon McCullersc,
- Peter Vogeld,
- Stacey Schultz-Cherrya
- aDepartment of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- bDepartment of Immunology, St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- cDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- dVeterinary Pathology Core, St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Terence S. Dermody, Editor
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Address correspondence to Stacey Schultz-Cherry, stacey.schultz-cherry{at}stjude.org.
- ↵* Present address: Erik A. Karlsson, Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
IMPORTANCE
Worldwide obesity rates have continued to increase. Obesity is associated with increased severity of influenza virus infection; however, very little is known about respiratory coinfections in this expanding, high-risk population. Our studies utilized a coinfection model to show that obesity increases mortality from secondary bacterial infection following influenza virus challenge through a ?perfect storm? of host factors that lead to excessive viral and bacterial outgrowth. In addition, we found that vaccination of obese mice against either virus or bacteria failed to confer protection against coinfection, but antibiotic treatment did alleviate mortality. Combined, these results represent an understudied and imminent public health concern in a weighty portion of the global population.