TWO DIFFERENT

MICROBIOTA PROFILES?

Two microbiota profiles have been identified among

newborns: some children have high bacterial diversity

and few antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And for others,

the opposite is true: lower bacterial diversity and

many resistance genes.

A link was established between mothers who

took antibiotics during pregnancy and this latter

microbiota profile.

IMMATURE MICROBIOTA

= LOWER IMMUNITY

This observation gave rise to a question: why is an

increase in antibiotic resistance associated with lower

bacterial diversity?

Søren Johannes Sørensen’s team went on to demons-

trate that the majority of resistant bacteria were from

the Escherichia coli family. Among infants with high

antibiotic resistance, this bacterial family was dominant

during the early months of life, creating so-called

“immature” microbiota characterized by low bacterial

diversity.

Longterm monitoring of those children showed

that immature microbiota in early life made altered

immunity more likely For example they had a higher

risk of developing asthma

WHAT NEXT

This research has paved the way for new forms

of prevention that seek to reduce antimicrobial

resistance in early childhood As a result it has

helped build up a knowledge base that will prove

essential to reducing antimicrobial resistance

The next major challenge is to identify the location

of the resistance genes

“Having a pet in the family

or living in the countryside

are advantages when it comes

to fighting antibiotic resistance.”

Søren Johannes Sørensen

Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the most

serious threats to global health. The WHO

has declared it to be a top priority. Misuse of these

medicines by people and animals speeds up

the process: a growing number of infections such

as pneumonia and tuberculosis are becoming

difficult to treat

(14)

.

Antibiotic resistance,

a plague

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacteria that lives

in the digestive tract While most E coli strains are

harmless some can lead to health problems

in humans However a few strains can cause

serious food poisoning They are usually passed

to humans through contaminated food

15

Escherichia coli

31