Microbial community networks across body sites are associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections in infants

Abstract

In order to assess the extent by which microbial communities from multiple body sites are linked and related to disease susceptibility, Reyman and Clerc et al. combined 16S-based rRNA sequencing data from 112 healthy, term born infants, spanning three body sites (oral cavity, nasopharynx, gut) over the first six months of life. They demonstrate a strong association between network structure and species and susceptibility to respiratory tract infections, suggesting a crucial role of cross-niche microbial connections in respiratory health.