Stool bacteria populations correlate with severity of malaria in Ugandan children

The study was reviewed and approved by the Makerere University School of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee, Indiana University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board, and the Ugandan National Council for Science and Technology. Written and informed consent was obtained from parents or guardians prior to enrolment. To determine if gut bacteria is associated with the severity of malaria in humans, bacteria populations were analyzed by MVRSION in stool collected from Ugandan children who had severe malaria anemia (SMA; n=40), or community control children who were otherwise healthy, but had asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections (Pf Pos; n=7), and healthy community control children with no Pf infections (Pf Neg; n=28).