Gene changes involved in susceptibility to severe staph infection

The bacteria that cause severe staph infections live in the noses of many people. If the bacteria get into the blood or other body tissues, the infection can be deadly. These infections are getting harder to treat. Current antibiotics cannot kill these germs. So, we need new ways to fight staph infections. To cause disease, staph needs to take up iron from our blood. Some people may have certain gene changes that make it easier for staph to take up iron from hemoglobin, a substance in our blood that contains iron. In this project, researchers are looking for such gene changes in the DNA samples from BioVU. The results could show which patients are more likely to get severe staph infections. The information may also lead to new ways to prevent or treat these infections.