Salmonella has a sweet tooth?

Just like people, Salmonella may have a soft spot for sugar. This type of bacteria, which can cause food poisoning, needs sugar — specifically glucose — to survive while it carries out infection, according to new a new study.

The finding could help scientists combat the microbes.

There are many different Salmonella strains, and some can cause salmonellosis, a disease with symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. The infection can be fatal, but usually isn't. In the United States, there are around 40,000 reported cases of salmonellosis per year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And since many cases go undiagnosed or unreported, the actual number of illnesses could be 30 times greater, the CDC says.

Previous Salmonella research has focused on trying to figure out how the bacteria cause illness and which genes are responsible for virulence. But not many scientists have looked at what keeps the bacteria going.

When Salmonella infect a host, they multiply inside immune cells called macrophages. These cells are attempting to destroy the bacteria, but instead, the germs continue to divide.

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