V6_V8 (Samples 101-233) 16S data from Campylobacter Abundance in Breastfed Infants and Identification of a New Species in the Global Enterics Multicenter Study

Campylobacter is the primary cause of bacterial diarrhea in the UnitedStates and can lead to the development of the postinfectious autoimmune neuropathyknown as Guillain-Barre syndrome. Also, drug-resistant campylobacters are becominga serious concern both locally and abroad. In low- and middle-income countries(LMICs), infection with Campylobacter is linked to high rates of morbidity,growth stunting, and mortality in children, and breastfeeding is important for infantnutrition, development, and protection against infectious diseases. In this study, weexamined the relationship between breastfeeding and Campylobacter infection anddemonstrate the increased selection for C. jejuni and C. coli strains unable to metabolizefucose. We also identify a new Campylobacter species coinfecting these infantswith a high prevalence in five of the seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa andSouth Asia examined. These findings indicate that more detailed studies are neededin LMICs to understand the Campylobacter infection process in order to devise astrategy for eliminating this pathogenic microbe.