Biogeography of Microorganisms in Kindergarten Reveals Higher Pathogenic Burden in Children Hands.. Kindergarten Biogeography

The increasing number of children in kindergartens increases exposure to microorganisms and their associated infectious diseases. To better manage hygiene levels and minimizing the spread of illnesses, it is crucial to understand the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms present in the kindergarten setting. In this study, eight sites in a kindergarten were sampled and analyzed with a metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) method to characterize the microorganisms present with species-level resolution. Amongst the sites, children’s hands were found to possess the highest relative abundance of pathogenic microorganisms, with oral bacteria being the predominant species. These findings provide a better understanding of the pathogenic microorganisms present in the kindergarten environment, and also a clue for assessing and tackling potential infections arising from such exposure.

幼儿园在园儿童数量持续增长，使得儿童接触微生物及其引发的传染性疾病的概率随之升高。为更好地管控环境卫生水平、降低疾病传播风险，明确幼儿园环境中致病微生物的流行情况至关重要。本研究对某幼儿园的8个采样点位进行了样本采集，并采用宏基因组下一代测序（metagenomics next-generation sequencing，mNGS）技术开展分析，以物种级分辨率对环境中存在的微生物进行特征解析。采样点位分析结果显示，儿童手部的致病微生物相对丰度最高，其中以口腔细菌为优势菌群。本研究结果不仅增进了学界对幼儿园环境中致病微生物的认知，也为评估和应对此类接触引发的潜在感染提供了参考方向。