Asymptomatic Enteric Virus Infections and Association with the Gut Microbiome in Rural Residents of Northern Laos

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with asymptomatic enteric virus infection in adults in northern Laos. Fecal samples were collected from apparently healthy participants who did not report diarrhea or high fever at the time of the survey in northern Laos, and enteric viruses were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Individual characteristics, including the gut microbiome, were compared between asymptomatic carriers and noncarriers of each enteric virus. Of the participants (N = 255), 12 (4.7%) were positive for norovirus genogroup I (GI), 8 (3.1%) for human adenovirus, and 1 (0.4%) for norovirus GII; prevalence tended to be higher in less-modernized villages. Gut microbial diversity (evaluated by the number of operational taxonomic units) was higher in asymptomatic carriers of norovirus GI or human adenovirus than in their noncarriers. Gut microbiome compositions differed significantly between asymptomatic carriers and noncarriers of norovirus GI or human adenovirus (permutational analysis of variance, P < 0.05). These findings imply an association between asymptomatic enteric virus infection and modernization and/or the gut microbiome in northern Laos.PMID:38471149 | DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.23-0209

Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - March 12, 2024 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Sae Sekiya Hiroaki Masuoka Yuki Mizuno Mihoko Kibe Satoko Kosaka Kazumi Natsuhara Kazuhiro Hirayama Nouhak Inthavong Sengchanh Kounnavong Shinsuke Tomita Lena Takayasu Wataru Suda Fumihiro Yagyu Masahiro Umezaki Source Type: research