If You’re Hungry When Sick, It Might Be Less Severe—But More Contagious

Lack of appetite often signals a cold or flu. Eating can be the last thing we want to do when we have a sore throat or are too fatigued or achy to even get out of bed. When hungry, we don’t feel as strong as when we are well fed—and we more than likely aren’t as strong. The scientific world used to think that’s how bacteria worked, too. When bacteria had ample nutrients available—when we were feeding that cold instead of starving a fever—they were healthier and would multiply, flourish, and keep on infecting. But a provocative new study published today in Cell has found a tricky Salmonella typhimurium bacteria that has evolved a mechanism that keeps humans it infects healthier—and makes the bacteria weaker. Of course, there’s more to the story, and it actually works to the bacteria’s advantage. The Basics of SalmonellaSalmonella infections can cause severe intestinal distress in humans and can be easily transmitted by ingesting food contaminated with the bacteria or by inadvertently…more