Mixed Infections of Intestinal Viruses and Bacteria in Humans

Abstract

A range of viruses and bacteria (as well as parasites) can infect the human alimentary canal. Mixed infections of viruses and bacteria are not uncommon, and quite complex physiological changes can result from such infections. This chapter documents the main viruses and bacteria involved in mixed gastroenteritis infections, and then surveys the frequency and nature of mixed viral-bacterial infections in humans. The literature on the possible mechanisms of such mixed infections is then examined under four headings: (i) the occurrence of asymptomatic infections by viral and bacterial enteropathogens; (ii) the clinical features of natural mixed infections in humans; (iii) the nature of mixed infections in animal models; (iv) relevant in vitro studies of viral-bacterial interaction.