Parasitosis by Fasciola hepatica and Variations in Gut Microbiota in School-Aged Children from Peru

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 371
• Main Authors: Silva-Caso, Wilmer, Carrillo-Ng, Hugo, Aguilar-Luis, Miguel Angel, Tarazona-Castro, Yordi, Valle, Luis J Del, Tinco-Valdez, Carmen, Palomares-Reyes, Carlos, Urteaga, Numan, Bazán-Mayra, Jorge, Valle-Mendoza, Juana Del
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.02.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Antigens; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Children; Digestive system; Disease; dysbiosis; Epidemiology; Fasciola hepatica; fascioliasis; Feces; Gastrointestinal tract; gut microbiota; Homeostasis; Immune system; Infections; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Secondary analysis; Statistical analysis; Peru; fascioliasis; gut microbiota; dysbiosis
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020371

(1) Background: Human fascioliasis is considered an endemic and hyper-endemic disease in the Peruvian Andean valleys. Our objective was to determine variations in the composition of the gut microbiota among children with and children who do not have this parasitosis. (2) Method: A secondary analysis was performed using fecal samples stored in our biobank. The samples were collected as part of an epidemiological cross-sectional study in children from 4 through 14 years old from a community in Cajamarca, Peru. (3) Results: In a comparison of the bacterial genera that make up the intestinal microbiota between the positive and negative groups, it was found that there are significant differences in the determination of ( = 0.010, CI: 8.5-61.4), ( = 0.020, CI: 18.5-61.4), ( < 0.001, CI: 3.5-36.0), and ( = 0.018, CI: 1.1-28.3), with each of these genera being less frequent in children parasitized with . (4) Conclusions: These results show that may be associated with direct or indirect changes in the bacterial population of the intestinal microbiota, particularly affecting three bacterial genera.