Microbial signatures of neonatal meningitis from multiple body sites. human blood metagenome

As a common central nervous system infection in newborns, neonatal bacterial meningitis can seriously affect their health and growth. However, although metagenomic approaches are being applied in clinical diagnostic practice, there are some limitations for whole metagenome sequencing and amplicon sequencing in handling low microbial biomass samples. Through a newly developed reduced metagenomic sequencing method named 2bRAD-M, our study investigated the microbial signatures of central nervous system infections in neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. We recruited a total of 23 neonates suspected of having neonatal bacterial meningitis based on their cerebrospinal fluid examination results and collected their blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and skin samples for 2bRAD-M sequencing.