Effects of drinking water chlorination on childrens intestinal flora and resistomes in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Water chlorination is a promising strategy for reducing exposure to diarrheal pathogens and associated antibiotic use among young children in low income countries, with potential benefits for the gut microbiome and long term health. Members of our team recently conducted a cluster randomized trial of passive water chlorination devices installed at shared taps in urban Bangladesh that disinfected all water used for domestic purposes including drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, and cleaning. The objectives of the present study were to examine the impacts of water chlorination on childrens gut microbiomes, including the resistance genes and gastrointestinal pathogens that they harbored, across different phases of gut microbiome development.