Study of the gut microbiota in mothers and children from the Zanzibar Archipelago (Tanzania): analysis of the associations among microorganisms, food, and helminth infection.

The purpose of this project is to analyse the structure of the gut microbiota in the population living in the two main islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago, Unguja and Pemba, where malnutrition in children and soil transmitted helminthiasis are unsolved problems. We specifically study women in reproductive age and their children, collecting information about their nutritional habits and parasite infections with the objective to identify correlations between gut bacterial taxa and food, and gut bacterial taxa and helminth infection.This study will suggest bacterial taxa positively correlated with necessary macro- and micronutrients and negatively correlated with soil transmitted helminths to be used as potential probiotics to improve the health of the population.