Breast milk Microbiome/Virome of HIV+ Kenyan Women is Not Altered by Immunosuppression

Breast milk (BM) harbors a diverse community of bacteria (microbiome) and viruses (virome) that are transmitted from mother-to-infant during breastfeeding and are important for establishing a healthy infant gut flora. Whether the breast milk microbiome and virome of women living with HIV are altered by immunosuppression and influence morbidity in HIV-exposed infants are unknown. We hypothesized that immunosuppression, as measured by low maternal CD4 count, alters the breast milk virome and microbiome.