The respiratory microbiome is linked to the severity of RSV infections and the persistence of symptoms in children
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of infant respiratory infections and hospitalizations. To investigate the relationship between the respiratory microbiome and RSV infection, we sequence nasopharyngeal samples from a birth cohort and a pediatric case-control study (Respiratory Syncytial virus Consortium in Europe [RESCEU]). 1,537 samples are collected shortly after birth ("baseline"), during RSV infection and convalescence, and from healthy controls. We find a modest association between baseline microbiota and the severity of consecutive RSV infections. The respiratory microbiota during infection clearly differs between infants with RSV and controls. Haemophilus, Streptococcus, and Moraxella abundance are associated with severe disease and persistence of symptoms, whereas stepwise increasing abundance of Dolosigranulum and Corynebacterium is associated with milder disease and health. We conclude that the neonatal respiratory microbiota is only modestly associated with RSV severity during the first year of life. However, the respiratory microbiota at the time of infection is strongly associated with disease severity and residual symptoms.
Authors
- Roy Zuurbier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5789-1084)
- Simon B. Drysdale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6350-6557)
- Peter Openshaw (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7220-2555)
- Terho Heikkinen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6504-0116)
- Justyna M. Binkowska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6485-1275)
- Debby Bogaert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2651-7000)
- Mei Ling J. N. Chu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8205-7013)
- Matthew D. Snape (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-5426)
- Louis Bont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3099-4475)
- Maartje Kristensen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2460-6958)
- Steve Cunningham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7342-251X)
- Ryan S. Thwaites (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3052-2793)
- Raïza Hasrat
- Joanne Wildenbeest (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3661-551X)
- Federico Martinón‐Torres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9023-581X)
- Andrew J. Pollard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6841-2592)
- Wouter A. A. de Steenhuijsen Piters (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1144-4067)
- Marlies A. van Houten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5942-8082)
- Kayleigh Arp
- Marie Billard
- Jeroen Aerssen
Institutions
- Janssen (Belgium) (BE)
- University of Turku (FI)
- Turku University Hospital (FI)
- University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Spaarne Ziekenhuis (NL)
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
- Queen's Medical Centre (GB)
- Oxford BioMedica (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (ES)
- Centre for Inflammation Research (GB)
- Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (NL)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports Medicine
- Published
- 2024-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101836
- Citations
- 19
- Primary Topic
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.96
Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek