COVID-19 Induces Lasting Gut Microbiome Alterations

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been linked to long-term health implications beyond acute illness, including post- COVID-19 condition. Recent studies suggest that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in infection severity and recovery, potentially serving as a therapeutic target. Here, we conducted a longitudinal study in mice to investigate microbiome changes following infection. Mice were infected with mouse adapted SARS-CoV-2, and fecal microbiome composition was assessed up to 21 days post-infection, with mock-infected controls for comparison. Our findings suggest that viral infection can induce persistent microbiome alterations that have the potential to contribute to long-term health effects.

严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2型（SARS-CoV-2）感染除引发急性病症外，还可导致一系列超出急性期的长期健康影响，其中就包括新冠后综合征。近期研究显示，肠道微生物组（gut microbiome）在感染严重程度及机体转归过程中发挥关键调控作用，具备成为治疗靶点的潜力。本研究以小鼠为模型开展纵向研究，旨在探究感染后的微生物组动态变化。实验小鼠经鼠适应型SARS-CoV-2感染，同时设置假感染对照小鼠用于比对，在感染后21天内的多个时间点对其粪便微生物组组成进行检测分析。本研究结果表明，病毒感染可诱导持久性的微生物组紊乱，这类改变或可参与长期健康影响的发生与发展。