Heterovirulence | German Center for Infection Research

Short description

Heterovirulence refers to the simultaneous presence of subpopulations with varying levels of virulence within a single infection.

Detailed description

Virulence describes the degree to which a pathogen can cause disease. In heterovirulence, subpopulations of the same pathogen with different levels of virulence coexist within a single infection. For example, during a bacterial infection, subpopulations with more pronounced disease-causing properties may develop. Heterovirulent populations are difficult to detect using routine diagnostic methods because bacterial virulence traits are not yet routinely assessed.

Jul 2026

N Engl J Med

Klebsiella Brain Abscess and Evolution of Heterovirulence in the Urinary Tract

Autoren

Ernst CM et al.

Black-and-white electron micrograph of a rod-shaped, dark gray bacterial cell surrounded by a thick layer of light gray filaments.

From urinary tract infection to brain abscess: How bacterial subpopulations can spread to distant body sites

Researchers from the University of Cologne, the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT present a remarkable clinical case in the New England Journal of