Background: Iron plays pivotal roles in metabolic pathways, oxygen transport, and immune function in humans, and maintaining balanced iron availability (homeostasis) is important for a healthy body. Bacteria use a number of strategies to acquire the iron essential for growth. Iron uptake by siderophores is even essential during infections caused by many pathogenic agents since the erosion of this system significantly reduces the ability of pathogens to colonize the host. Several studies have indicated that defective production and/or function of these molecules as well as iron acquisition systems in pathogens are associated with a reduction in pathogenicity of bacteria.