Non-pharmaceutical interventions restructured the upper respiratory bacterial microbiota in children under 2 during...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Microbiome research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).
• These NPIs may have influenced the patterns of pediatric respiratory infections and the associated microbial communities.
• Understanding these shifts is crucial for pediatric respiratory health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of NPIs on the bacterial epidemiology and microbiota composition in the upper respiratory tract of young children hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).
• To analyze changes in bacterial detection rates and microbial community structure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 24,159 children under 2 years old admitted between January 2019 and December 2020.
• Comparison of culture-based bacterial detection rates before and after NPI implementation.
• 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize upper respiratory microbiota in a subgroup of RSV-positive children.

Main Results:

• Overall bacterial detection rate decreased from 61.02% to 18.38% post-NPIs.
• Significant increase in alpha diversity and distinct separation in beta diversity of upper respiratory microbiota in RSV-positive children.
• Taxonomic shifts observed, including increased Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, decreased Firmicutes, reduced Streptococcus, and enrichment of Rothia, Dolosigranulum, and Corynebacterium.

Conclusions:

• NPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant alterations in the upper respiratory bacterial microbiota of young children with RSV.
• These findings suggest potential implications for pediatric infection control strategies and respiratory health.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects and clinical relevance of these microbial shifts.