Secondary bacterial infections are a common complication in influenza A infection, but targets for prevention are lacking.

Here, Susanne Herold & team suggest that targeting neutrophil-driven alveolar macrophage death in severe influenza pneumonia strengthens host defense and prevents the transition to secondary bacterial infection:

The figure shows leukocyte infiltration in mouse lung tissue caused by pneumococcal infection a week after influenza A infection.

¹Department of Medicine V, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), member of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

²Institute of Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

³Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Hessen, Germany.