Microbiome of African Stool Samples. human gut metagenome

Pediatric diarrheal diseases remain a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Causes for pediatric diarrhea are diverse and multifaceted, with a number of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens playing a role. The composition of the commensal microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract likely influences the susceptibility of an individual to these various diarrheal pathogens. The goal of this study is to identify the composition of bacterial communities in pediatric diarrheal samples from sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, bacterial communities are compared between rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative diarrheal samples, containing different strains of rotavirus, and between diarrheal and normal stool samples collected from children in similar geographic locations. This study was part of a larger project that aimed to better understand enteric community relationships among rotaviruses, other diarrheal pathogens, and commensal microbiota.