Infection and antibiotic-associated changes in the fecal microbiota of < em > C. rodentium < /em > ϕ < em > stx2 < sub > dact < /sub > < /em > -infected C57BL/6 mice

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Mar 25:e0005724. doi: 10.1128/aac.00057-24. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli causes watery to bloody diarrhea, which may progress to hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. While early studies suggested that antibiotic treatment may worsen the pathology of an enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection, recent work has shown that certain non-Shiga toxin-inducing antibiotics avert disease progression. Unfortunately, both intestinal bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment are associated with dysbiosis. This can alleviate colonization resistance, facilitate secondary infections, and potentially lead to more severe illness. To address the consequences in the context of an EHEC infection, we used the established mouse infection model organism Citrobacter rodentium ϕstx2dact and monitored changes in fecal microbiota composition during infection and antibiotic treatment. C. rodentium ϕstx2dact infection resulted in minor changes compared to antibiotic treatment. The infection caused clear alterations in the microbial community, leading mainly to a reduction of Muribaculaceae and a transient increase in Enterobacteriaceae distinct from Citrobacter. Antibiotic treatments of the infection resulted in marked and distinct variations in microbiota composition, diversity, and dispersion. Enrofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, which did not prevent Shiga toxin-mediated organ damage, had the...
Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research