Gut microbiota in hospitalized children with acute infective gastroenteritis caused by virus or bacteria in a regional Peruvian hospital

Background. Acute infective gastroenteritis (AIG) is a leading cause of mortality in children worldwide. In Peru, more than 40% of cases of AIG occurring in children under 5 years old. The disruption of the gut microbiota can increase risk for several health complications especially in patients with gastric infections caused by viruses or bacteria. Objective. The main objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of 13 representative bacteria from the gut microbiota (GM) in stools samples from children under 5 years of age with acute infective gastroenteritis. Results. The most commonly isolated bacteria from the GM were Firmicutes (63.2% 74/117) Bacteriodetes (62.4%; 73/117), Lactobacillus (59.8%; 70/117), Prevotella (57.2%; 67/117), Proteobacterium (53.8%; 63/117), regardless of the etiological agent responsible for the AIG. Interestingly, despite the high prevalence of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus and Prevotella across all samples, a visible reduction of these agents was observed especially among patients with a single bacterial infection or even bacteria–bacteria coinfections when compared to viral etiologies. Patients with exclusive or mixed breastfeeding registered the highest amount of gut microbiota bacteria, in contrast to infants who received formula or were not breastfed.