Altered middle ear microbiome in children with chronic otitis media and respiratory illnesses

Chronic otitis media (COM) is a common childhood disease characterized by an accumulation of fluid behind the eardrum. COM often requires surgical intervention and can also lead to significant hearing loss and subsequent learning disabilities. Recent characterization of the middle ear fluid (MEF) microbiome in pediatric patients has led to an improved understanding of the microbiota present in the middle ear during COM. However, it is not currently known how the MEF microbiome might vary due to other conditions, particularly respiratory disorders. Here, we apply an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) pipeline to MEF 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data from 50 COM children (ages 3-176 months) undergoing tube placement.