The Host Immune System Facilitates Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus Disease Due to Phagocytic Attraction to Candida albicans during Coinfection: a Case of Bait and Switch

Invasive infections account for 15 to 50% of fatal bloodstream infections annually. These disseminated infections often arise without a defined portal of entry into the host but cause high rates of mortality. The fungus and the Gram-positive bacterium can form polymicrobial biofilms on epithelial tissue, facilitated by the adhesin encoded by While a bacterium-fungus interaction is required for systemic infection, the mechanism by which bacteria disseminate from the epithelium to internal organs is unclear. In this study, we show that highly immunogenic hyphae attract phagocytic cells, which rapidly engulf adherent and subsequently migrate to cervical lymph nodes. Following -loaded phagocyte translocation from the mucosal surface, produces systemic disease with accompanying morbidity and mortality. Our results suggest a novel role for the host in facilitating a bacterium-fungus infectious synergy, leading to disseminated staphylococcal disease.