"Deadly Bacteria's Vampiric Thirst for Human Blood Uncovered in Study"

Researchers at Washington State University discovered that certain deadly bacteria are attracted to the liquid part of human blood, a phenomenon they called "bacterial vampirism." The study could lead to medical innovations for treating bloodstream infections, as the bacteria were found to be especially drawn to serine, an amino acid in human blood. Understanding how these bacteria detect blood sources could lead to the development of new drugs to block this ability and improve the health of people at high risk for bloodstream infections.