MICROBIOTA AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: THE ROLE OF MICROBIOTA IN INFECTION DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
The human microbiota, comprising diverse microorganisms, plays a critical role in maintaining health and modulating immune responses. Its influence on infection development is profound, with a balanced microbiota acting as a barrier against pathogenic invasions through competitive exclusion, antimicrobial production, and immune system regulation. Dysbiosis—microbial imbalance—disrupts these protective mechanisms, increasing susceptibility to infections such as Clostridioides difficile, respiratory infections, and viral diseases. The microbiota also affects infection severity and outcomes, emphasizing the importance of microbial diversity.
References
Cho, I., & Blaser, M. J. (2012). The human microbiome: At the interface of health and disease. Nature Reviews Genetics, 13(4), 260–270. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3182
Sommer, F., & Bäckhed, F. (2013). The gut microbiota—Masters of host development and physiology. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 11(4), 227–238. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2974
Buffie, C. G., & Pamer, E. G. (2013). Microbiota-mediated colonization resistance against intestinal pathogens. Nature Reviews Immunology, 13(11), 790–801. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3535
Lynch, S. V., & Pedersen, O. (2016). The human intestinal microbiome in health and disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(24), 2369–2379. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1600266
