The intestinal protist Blastocystis is not a common member of the healthy infant gut microbiota in a Westernized country (Ireland)
Open accessAbstract
Research into the gut microbiota of human infants is necessary in order to better understand how inter-species interactions and ecological succession shape the diversity of the gut microbiota, and in turn, how the specific composition of the gut microbiota impacts on host health both during infancy and in later years. Blastocystis is a ubiquitous intestinal protist that has been linked to a number of intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. However, emerging data show that asymptomatic carriage is common and that Blastocystis is prevalent in the healthy adult gut microbiota. Nonetheless, little is known about the prevalence and diversity of this microorganism in the healthy infant gut, including when and how individuals become colonized by Blastocystis. Here, we surveyed the prevalence and diversity of Blastocystis in an infant population (n = 59) from an industrialized country (Ireland) using Blastocystis-specific primers at three or more time-points up to 24 months old. Only three infants were positive for Blastocystis (prevalence = 5%) and this was only noted for samples collected at month 24. This rate is comparatively low relative to previously reported prevalence rates in the contemporaneous adult population. These data suggest that infants in Westernized countries that are successfully colonized by Blastocystis most likely acquire this microorganism via horizontal transfer.
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Blastocystis sp. is acquired later in life also in non-westernized communities where its prevalence is higher in adults.
“suggesting that this eukaryote is acquired later in life also in non-westernized communities where its prevalence is higher in the adults.”
From Maternal and food microbial sources shape the infant microbiome of a rural Ethiopian population (2023) · cites this paper as [48]
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Maternal and food microbial sources shape the infant microbiome of a rural Ethiopian population
Manara, S., Selma-Royo, M., Huang, K. D., Asnicar, F., Armanini, F., Blanco-Miguez, A., Cumbo, F., Golzato, D., Manghi, P., Pinto, F., et al. (2023) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.011 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Scanlan, P. D., Hill, C. J., Ross, R. P., Ryan, C. A., Stanton, C., & Cotter, P. D.
- Affiliations
- Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
- University College Cork (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Scanlan, P. D.
- Venue
- Parasitology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2018-02-05
- Volume
- 145
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1274-1278
- ISSN
- 0031-1820 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8161
- OpenAlex
- W2785671316
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 1.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Parasitology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Keywords
- Blastocystis, infant gut microbiota, prevalence, microbial colonization, horizontal transmission, asymptomatic carriage, microbial diversity, infant development
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Adult, Feces, Humans, Infant, Intestines, Ireland, Longitudinal Studies, Prevalence, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Blastocystis Infections, Blastocystis, Disease Transmission, Infectious, Metagenomics
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