Infection with the pathogenic Blastocystis ST7 is associated with decreased diversity and altered gut microbiome profiles in diarrheal patients

Blastocystis is a common protistan parasite inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. While there are increasing reports characterizing the associations between Blastocystis and the gut microbiome in healthy individuals, only a few studies have investigated the relationships of Blastocystis with gut microbiota in diarrheal patients. In this study, we investigated the effects of a specific subtype (ST7) of Blastocystis on the composition of gut microbiota in diarrheal patients using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.