Figure 1 - Coagulation induced by the presence of bacteria is governed by spatial localization, or clustering, rather than by the total concentration of a bacterial species in the blood.
From the following article
Acting together, bacterial clusters initiate coagulation
Jeffrey T. Borenstein
Nature Chemical Biology 4, 718 - 719 (2008)
doi:10.1038/nchembio1208-718
When the bacteria are uniformly distributed throughout the bloodstream, as in the left image, coagulation is not induced. However, when bacterial clustering occurs, as in the right image, local threshold concentrations of clotting factors are exceeded, resulting in coagulation.
Katie Ris-Vicari
