Influenza alters gut microbiota

influenza A changes the gut microbiota, which especially affects its resistance to very common antibiotics, such as those used to treat ear and throat infections. This is the main conclusion of a study published in the journal Microbiological spectrum belonging American Microbiological Association, under the guidance of researchers from CEU University of San Pablofrom the groups of virology and innate immunity and MICROAMB-ecological bacterial biotechnology together with Geneva Center for Inflammation Researchfrom the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

As the experts explain, their analysis shows that within a few days after infection, the ability of the intestinal microbiota to absorb sugars decreases, and is restored from five days to a week later: “We analyzed changes associated with antibiotic resistance in intestinal bacterial communities of influenza virus-infected mice. It has been observed that in the gut microbiota there is a temporary increase in resistance to antibiotics from common families such as cephalosporins, which are used for ear, throat infections, pneumonia or meningitis, as well as other diseases,” explains virologist Estanislao Nistal, one of the main authors in the press. release issued by the university.

For his part, the main co-author of the study, Pedro Jimenez, adds that “Traditionally, antibiotic resistance research is conducted using bacterial populations isolated from a patient. Our approach examines this resistance in bacterial communities, in which multiple bacteria together determine community persistence. This strategy will allow better selection of antibiotics for more personalized treatment. “Knowledge of the behavior of the microbial community (such as gut bacteria) may allow us to anticipate treatment failure due to the use of an ineffective antibiotic for a patient.”

Antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities

Researchers from CEU San Pablo University

The authors of this study explained that there is still a lot of ignorance regarding antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities due to how difficult is its interpretation?.

And, as they themselves clarify, Resistance to a particular antibiotic varies depending on what bacteria and resistance mechanisms are present in the community. The study shows that influenza infections alter the composition of the gut microbiota, its metabolic capacity, and its response to certain antibiotics. In other words, diseases that affect the gut microbiota can alter its activity and metabolic function, including resistance to oral antibiotics.

“Functional characterization of these complex communities is important, although it is currently largely limited to taxonomic descriptions. Know functional changes can significantly influence treatment strategy,

especially in infections caused simultaneously by several microbes,” explain authors Marina Robas and Jesús Presa.

On the other hand, it is important to know that in some organs of our body the microbiota is where bacteria are needed: “Thanks to advanced genomic sequencing techniques, We can now identify the bacteria present in our body.Even those that are difficult to study in the laboratory due to their resistance to cultivation, in this study we propose methods for studying their ‘group response’ that go beyond their traditional use,” he details. Nystal.

Ultimately, this discovery served improve the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseasessuch as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and have paved the way for a better understanding of the connection between dysbiosis and neurological diseases or some types of cancer.

However, the team clarifies that despite knowing which bacteria are present, most studies What determines their group behavior and its consequences has not been studied.. Thus, this study represents a step forward in understanding the functioning of bacteria at the group level.