Co-occurrence of Campylobacter Species in Children From Eastern Ethiopia, and Their Association With Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Diarrhea, and Host Microbiome.

High Campylobacter prevalence during early childhood has been associated with stunting and environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), especially in low resource settings. This study assessed the prevalence, diversity, abundance, and co-occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in stools from children in a rural area of eastern Ethiopia and their association with microbiome, diarrhea, and EED in children. Stool samples (n = 100) were collected from randomly selected children (age range: 360-498 days) in five kebeles in Haramaya District, Ethiopia. Diarrhea, compromised gut permeability, and gut inflammation were observed in 48, 45, and 57% of children, respectively. Campylobacter prevalence and species diversity were assessed using PCR and meta-total RNA sequencing (MeTRS). The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the children's stools was 50% (41-60%) by PCR and 88% (80-93.6%) by MeTRS (P < 0.01). Further, seven Campylobacter species (Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter upsaliensis, Campylobacter hyointestinalis, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter sp. RM6137, uncultured Campylobacter sp., and Campylobacter sp. RM12175) were detected by MeTRS in at least 40% of children stools in high abundance (>1.76-log read per million per positive stool sample). Four clusters of Campylobacter species (5-12 species per cluster) co-occurred in the stool samples, suggesting that Campylobacter colonization of children may have occurred through multiple reservoirs or from a reservoir in which several Campylobacter species may co-inhabit. No associations between Campylobacter spp., EED, and diarrhea were detected in this cross-sectional study; however, characteristic microbiome profiles were identified based on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., EED severity, and diarrhea. Forty-seven bacterial species were correlated with Campylobacter, and 13 of them also correlated with gut permeability, gut inflammation and/or EED severity. Forty-nine species not correlated with Campylobacter were correlated with gut permeability, gut inflammation, EED severity and/or diarrhea. This study demonstrated that (1) in addition to C. jejuni and C. coli, multiple non-thermophilic Campylobacter spp. (i.e., Campylobacter hyointestinalis, Campylobacter fetus, and Campylobacter concisus) were frequently detected in the children's stools and (2) the Campylobacter, gut permeability, gut inflammation, EED severity, and diarrhea were associated with characteristic microbiome composition. Additional spatial and longitudinal studies are needed to identify environmental reservoirs and sources of infection of children with disparate Campylobacter species and to better define their associations with EED in low-income countries.

Terefe Y ，Deblais L ，Ghanem M ，Helmy YA ，Mummed B ，Chen D ，Singh N ，Ahyong V ，Kalantar K ，Yimer G ，Yousuf Hassen J ，Mohammed A ，McKune SL ，Manary MJ ，Ordiz MI ，Gebreyes W ，Havelaar AH ，Rajashekara G ... -  《Frontiers in Public Health》

Campylobacter Colonization, Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Stunting, and Associated Risk Factors Among Young Children in Rural Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study From the Campylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (CAGED) Project.

Livestock farming provides a possible mechanism by which smallholder farmers can meet their household need for animal source foods (ASF), which may reduce the risk of stunting. However, direct/indirect contacts with domestic animals may increase colonization by Campylobacter spp., which has been associated with Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) and stunting. A cross-sectional study involving 102 randomly selected children between 12 and 16 months of age was conducted in rural eastern Ethiopia to establish prevalence rates of Campylobacter colonization, EED, and stunting, and evaluate potential risk factors. Data were collected between September and December 2018. The prevalence of EED and stunting was 50% (95% CI: 40-60%) and 41% (95% CI: 32-51%), respectively. Among enrolled children, 56% had consumed some ASF in the previous 24 h; 47% had diarrhea and 50% had fever in the past 15 days. 54, 63, 71 or 43% of households owned at least one chicken, cow/bull, goat, or sheep; 54 (53%) households kept chickens indoors overnight and only half of these confined the animals. Sanitation was poor, with high levels of unimproved latrines and open defecation. Most households had access to an improved source of drinking water. The prevalence of Campylobacter colonization was 50% (95% CI: 41-60%) by PCR. In addition to the thermotolerant species Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter upsaliensis, non-thermotolerant species related to Campylobacter hyointestinalis and Campylobacter fetus were frequently detected by Meta-total RNA sequencing (MeTRS). Current breastfeeding and ASF consumption increased the odds of Campylobacter detection by PCR, while improved drinking water supply decreased the odds of EED. No risk factors were significantly associated with stunting. Further studies are necessary to better understand reservoirs and transmission pathways of Campylobacter spp. and their potential impact on child health.

Chen D ，McKune SL ，Singh N ，Yousuf Hassen J ，Gebreyes W ，Manary MJ ，Bardosh K ，Yang Y ，Diaz N ，Mohammed A ，Terefe Y ，Roba KT ，Ketema M ，Ameha N ，Assefa N ，Rajashekara G ，Deblais L ，Ghanem M ，Yimer G ，Havelaar AH ... -  《Frontiers in Public Health》

Prevalence and Load of the Campylobacter Genus in Infants and Associated Household Contacts in Rural Eastern Ethiopia: a Longitudinal Study from the Campylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (CAGED) Project.

Deblais L ，Ojeda A ，Brhane M ，Mummed B ，Hassen KA ，Ahmedo BU ，Weldesenbet YD ，Amin JK ，Ahmed IA ，Usmane IA ，Yusuf EA ，Seran AJ ，Abrahim FI ，Game HT ，Mummed BA ，Usmail MM ，Umer KA ，Dawid MM ，Gebreyes W ，French N ，Hassen JY ，Roba KT ，Mohammed A ，Yimer G ，Saleem C ，Chen D ，Singh N ，Manary MJ ，McKune SL ，Havelaar AH ，Rajashekara G ... -  《-》

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》

Studies on enteric campylobacteriosis in Tikur Anbessa and Ethio-Swedish children's hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Asrat D ，Hathaway A ，Ekwall E 《-》