Infant gut microbiome changes and recovers after norovirus infection

Noroviruses are associated with one fifth of diarrheal illnesses globally and are not yet vaccine preventable. Little is known about the impact norovirus infection has on infant gut microbiome health, which has a role in protecting hosts from pathogens and a probable role in vaccine efficacy. In this study, we characterized infant gut microbiome changes occurring with norovirus AGE and the extent and duration of gut microbiome recovery. Metagenomic sequencing was performed on the stools of 5 infants participating in a longitudinal birth cohort study conducted in Leon, Nicaragua, examining the etiology of viral AGE in children < 2 years old. Taxonomic and functional gut microbiome communities were profiled at time points before, during, and after norovirus AGE for infants experiencing norovirus as their first viral etiology of AGE. Data indicate the trajectory of infant microbiome development was not altered due to norovirus infection. The study provides new insights for developing probiotic treatments and furthering our understanding of the role diarrheal illnesses have in shaping the infant gut microbiome, long-term outcomes, and implications for vaccine efficacy.