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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: November 17, 2018
Effects of treatment with antimicrobial agents on the human colonic microflora
Fatemeh Rafii1, John B Sutherland, Carl E Cerniglia
1Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, AR, USA. fatemeh.rafii@fda.hhs.gov
Abstract:
Antimicrobial agents are the most valuable means available for treating bacterial infections. However, the administration of therapeutic doses of antimicrobial agents to patients is a leading cause of disturbance of the normal gastrointestinal microflora. This disturbance results in diminishing the natural defense mechanisms provided by the colonic microbial ecosystem, making the host vulnerable to infection by commensal microorganisms or nosocomial pathogens. In this minireview, the impacts of antimicrobials, individually and in combinations, on the human colonic microflora are discussed.
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