tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PeerJ
. 2024 Aug 27:12:e17956.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17956. eCollection 2024. Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in infants born to SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers: a pilot study
Dylan K P Blaufus[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Karen M Kalanetra[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rosa Pesavento[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pranav Garlapati[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Brittany C Baikie[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kara M Kuhn-Riordon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mark A Underwood[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Diana H Taft[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs during infection, particularly in pediatric populations. The gut microbiota are associated with resistance to enteric pathogens. COVID-19 is associated with alterations to the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that the gut microbiome of infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers differs between infants with and without fecal shedding of the virus.
Methods: We enrolled 10 infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers. We used qPCR on fecal RNA to test for SARS-CoV-2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region to assess the gut microbiome. Infant SARS-CoV-2 status from nasal swabs was abstracted from medical records.
Results: Of the 10 included infants, nine were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal swab with 1 testing positive. Four infants, including the nasal swab positive infant, had at least one sample with detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 fecal shedding. Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes in feces was associated with increased gut alpha diversity compared to no detection by a linear mixed effects model (p < 0.001). Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes was associated with increased levels Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Ruminococceae by MaAsLin2.
Conclusion: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs in infants who test negative on nasal swabs and is associated with differences in the gut microbiome.
Keywords: Fecal shedding; Infant gut microbiome; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2024 Aug 27:12:e17956.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17956. eCollection 2024. Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in infants born to SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers: a pilot study
Dylan K P Blaufus[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Karen M Kalanetra[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rosa Pesavento[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pranav Garlapati[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Brittany C Baikie[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kara M Kuhn-Riordon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mark A Underwood[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Diana H Taft[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39221275
- PMCID: PMC11363909
- DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17956
Background: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs during infection, particularly in pediatric populations. The gut microbiota are associated with resistance to enteric pathogens. COVID-19 is associated with alterations to the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that the gut microbiome of infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers differs between infants with and without fecal shedding of the virus.
Methods: We enrolled 10 infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers. We used qPCR on fecal RNA to test for SARS-CoV-2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region to assess the gut microbiome. Infant SARS-CoV-2 status from nasal swabs was abstracted from medical records.
Results: Of the 10 included infants, nine were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal swab with 1 testing positive. Four infants, including the nasal swab positive infant, had at least one sample with detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 fecal shedding. Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes in feces was associated with increased gut alpha diversity compared to no detection by a linear mixed effects model (p < 0.001). Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes was associated with increased levels Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Ruminococceae by MaAsLin2.
Conclusion: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs in infants who test negative on nasal swabs and is associated with differences in the gut microbiome.
Keywords: Fecal shedding; Infant gut microbiome; SARS-CoV-2.