Gut microbiome dysbiosis during COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for bacteremia and microbial translocation.

Abstract

The microbial populations in the gut microbiome have recently been associated with COVID-19 disease severity. However, a causal impact of the gut microbiome on COVID-19 patient health has not been established. Here we provide evidence that gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with translocation of bacteria into the blood during COVID-19, causing life-threatening secondary infections. Antibiotics and other treatments during COVID-19 can potentially confound microbiome associations. We therefore first demonstrate that the gut microbiome is directly affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection in a dose-dependent manner in a mouse model, causally linking viral infection and gut microbiome dysbiosis. Comparison with stool samples collected from 97 COVID-19 patients at two different clinical sites also revealed substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis, paralleling our observations in the animal model. Specifically, we observed blooms of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial genera known to include antimicrobial-resistant species in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Analysis of blood culture results testing for secondary microbial bloodstream infections with paired microbiome data obtained from these patients suggest that bacteria translocate from the gut into the systemic circulation of COVID-19 patients. These results are consistent with a direct role for gut microbiome dysbiosis in enabling dangerous secondary infections during COVID 19.

Does Glyphosate Affect the Human Microbiota?

“…Interestingly, all strains isolated from human blood are opportunistic pathogens, in agreement with [ 34 ], and intrinsically resistant to glyphosate ( Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus sanguinis, Enterococcus faecium , Staphylococcus epidermidis, Sporosarcina newyorkensis , and Psychrobacter sanguinis ). Associations between microbiome dysbiosis and bloodstream infections (BSIs) have been suggested in immunocompromised [ 35 ] and COVID-19 [ 36 ] patients. Thus, it is possible that exposure to glyphosate may provide conditions that increase BSI-causing bacteria while decreasing sensitive commensal bacteria.…”

Role of Microbiota in Viral Infections and Pathological Progression

“…Microbiota–control interventions with probiotics [ 206 ] and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may be effective in infectious diseases [ 207 , 208 ], but there have been reports of adverse events, and caution may be required [ 209 ], additionally, the differences in indigenous microbiota among nationalities must also be considered. Since interventional studies in humans are limited, in vitro and animal model studies may be useful for research and development [ 69 , 210 , 211 , 212 ]. HIV research includes a model of SIV infection using macaques, which has the potential to effectively assess the changes in the microbiota in disease progression and the role of the gut microbiota control in therapy effectiveness [ 213 ].…”

Gut microbiome, Vitamin D, ACE2 interactions are critical factors in immune-senescence and inflammaging: key for vaccine response and severity of COVID-19 infection

“…This analysis revealed that genus Faecalibacterium was negatively associated with blood stream infection (OR − 1.49, CI [− 2.82, − 0.18]). Analysis of blood culture results with paired microbiome data obtained from these patients suggests that bacteria translocate from the gut into the systemic circulation of COVID-19 patients [57].…”