Researchers find trigger that turns strep infections into flesh-eating disease

(Houston Methodist) Houston Methodist scientists discovered a previously unknown trigger that turns run-of-the-mill strep infections into the flesh-eating disease childbed fever, which strikes postpartum moms and newborns, often leaving victims without limbs. Using an unprecedented approach, they looked at the interplay between the genome, transcriptome and virulence. This generated a massive data set, lending itself to artificial intelligence analysis. Through AI they unexpectedly discovered a new mechanism controlling virulence. The study appears Feb. 18 in Nature Genetics.

from EurekAlert! - Technology, Engineering and Computer Science http://bit.ly/2V1eqRm