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Gut bacteria are rarely shared by co-hospitalized premature infants, regardless of necrotizing enterocolitis

Tali Raveh-Sadka1, Brian C Thomas1, Andrea Singh1

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.

Elife
|March 4, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Hospitalized premature infants rarely share distinct bacterial strains in their gut, even when infected with the same species. This finding suggests significant barriers to pathogen spread, crucial for understanding infant gut colonization and preventing diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Neonatal Medicine

Background:

  • Premature infants are susceptible to abnormal gut colonization, increasing risks for necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • The spread of potential pathogens among hospitalized infants is a significant clinical concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct and analyze microbial genomes from premature infants.
  • To track bacterial strain dispersal and metabolic potential within co-hospitalized infants.
  • To compare gut microbial communities in infants with and without necrotizing enterocolitis.

Main Methods:

  • Genome reconstruction of hundreds of microbial genomes from infant gut samples.
  • Strain-level tracking of bacterial colonization over time.
  • Comparative analysis of microbial communities between infants who developed necrotizing enterocolitis and those who did not.

Main Results:

  • Potentially pathogenic bacteria of the same species colonized multiple infants, but typically distinct strains colonized each infant.
  • No single bacterial strain was common to all infants who developed necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • Strain-resolved microbial community analysis is feasible within medically relevant timeframes.

Conclusions:

  • Significant barriers likely exist that limit the spread of specific bacterial strains among hospitalized premature infants.
  • Genome-resolved analysis provides critical insights into infant gut microbiome dynamics and pathogen transmission.
  • Understanding strain-level colonization is vital for preventing infant diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis.

Keywords:
Microbiotaevolutionary biologygenomicsgut microbial colonizationinfectious diseasemetagenomicsmicrobiologynecrotizing enterocolitisnosocomial infectionspreterm infants

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