Campylobacter Abundance in Breastfed Infants and Identification of a New Species in the Global Enterics Multicenter Study.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide and is associated with high rates of mortality and growth stunting in children inhabiting low- to middle-resource countries. To better understand the impact of breastfeeding on Campylobacter infection in infants in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, we examined fecal microbial compositions, bacterial isolates, and their carbohydrate metabolic pathways in Campylobacter-positive infants <1 year of age from the Global Enterics Multicenter Study. Exclusively breastfed infants with diarrhea exhibited high Campylobacter abundances, and this negatively correlated with bacterial carbohydrate metabolism. Although C. jejuni and Campylobacter coli are prevalent among these infants, the second most abundant Campylobacter species was a new species, which we named "Candidatus Campylobacter infans." Asymptomatic Campylobacter carriers also possess significantly different proportions of specific gut microbes compared to diarrheal cases. These findings provide insight into Campylobacter infections in infants in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and help inform strategies aimed at eliminating campylobacteriosis in these areas.IMPORTANCECampylobacter is the primary cause of bacterial diarrhea in the United States and can lead to the development of the postinfectious autoimmune neuropathy known as Guillain-Barré syndrome. Also, drug-resistant campylobacters are becoming a 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 infant nutrition, development, and protection against infectious diseases. In this study, we examined the relationship between breastfeeding and Campylobacter infection and demonstrate the increased selection for C. jejuni and C. coli strains unable to metabolize fucose. We also identify a new Campylobacter species coinfecting these infants with a high prevalence in five of the seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia examined. These findings indicate that more detailed studies are needed in LMICs to understand the Campylobacter infection process in order to devise a strategy for eliminating this pathogenic microbe.

Bian X ，Garber JM ，Cooper KK ，Huynh S ，Jones J ，Mills MK ，Rafala D ，Nasrin D ，Kotloff KL ，Parker CT ，Tennant SM ，Miller WG ，Szymanski CM ... -  《mSphere》

The other Campylobacters: Not innocent bystanders in endemic diarrhea and dysentery in children in low-income settings.

François R ，Yori PP ，Rouhani S ，Siguas Salas M ，Paredes Olortegui M ，Rengifo Trigoso D ，Pisanic N ，Burga R ，Meza R ，Meza Sanchez G ，Gregory MJ ，Houpt ER ，Platts-Mills JA ，Kosek MN ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

Prospective study of enteric Campylobacter infections in children from birth to 6 months in the Central African Republic.

Georges-Courbot MC ，Beraud-Cassel AM ，Gouandjika I ，Georges AJ ... -  《-》

Shotgun metagenomics of fecal samples from children in Peru reveals frequent complex co-infections with multiple Campylobacter species.

Parker CT ，Schiaffino F ，Huynh S ，Paredes Olortegui M ，Peñataro Yori P ，Garcia Bardales PF ，Pinedo Vasquez T ，Curico Huansi GE ，Manzanares Villanueva K ，Shapiama Lopez WV ，Cooper KK ，Kosek MN ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

Campylobacter diarrhea in children in South Asia: A systematic review.

Campylobacter spp. are one of the commonest causes of diarrhea in children under five and in resource poor settings also lead to malabsorption and stunting. The purpose of this systematic review was to understand the burden of Campylobacter spp. associated diarrhea among children in the South Asian countries. This systematic review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Databases were searched with defined keywords for publications from the years 1998-2018. Data on proportion of positive samples was extracted to compare the rates of Campylobacter infection among children (under the age of 19) from different study populations. Of the 359 publications screened, 27 eligible articles were included in this systematic review and categorized based on study design. In 8 case-control studies, Campylobacter spp. was detected more frequently among diarrheal cases (range, 3.2-17.4%) than non-diarrheal cases (0-13%). Although there were variations in the study population, overall, children under the age of two years experienced Campylobacter diarrhea more often than older children. Most studies reported stool culture as the method used to detect Campylobacter spp. however retesting using PCR-based methods significantly increased detection rates. Limited data were available on Campylobacter species. In 4 studies that provided species data, C. jejuni (3.2-11.2%) was shown to be the most common species, followed by C. coli. In South Asia, Campylobacter spp. are one of the most common bacterial diarrheal pathogens affecting children but there is a paucity of data on species, risk factors and attributable sources. Although a few studies were available, the epidemiology of campylobacteriosis remains uncertain. To understand the true burden and sources of infection, more detailed studies are needed collecting data from human, animal and environmental sources and using both culture and genomic tools.

Murugesan M ，Abraham D ，Samuel P ，Ajjampur SS ... -  《-》