Authors

Lucie Bernard-Raichon, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Mericien Venzon, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Jon Klein, Yale School of Medicine
Jordan E. Axelrad, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Chenzhen Zhang, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Alexis P. Sullivan, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Grant A. Hussey, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Arnau Casanovas-Massana, Yale School of Public Health
Maria G. Noval, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Ana M. Valero-Jimenez, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Juan Gago, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Gregory Putzel, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Alejandro Pironti, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Evan Wilder, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Yale IMPACT Research Team
Lorna E. Thorpe, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Dan R. Littman, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Meike Dittmann, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Kenneth A. Stapleford, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Bo Shopsin, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Victor J. Torres, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Albert I. Ko, Yale School of Public Health
Akiko Iwasaki, Yale School of Medicine
Ken Cadwell, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Jonas Schluter, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Abeer Obaid, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Alice Lu-Culligan, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Allison Nelson, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Anderson Brito, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Angela Nunez, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Anjelica Martin, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Annie Watkins, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Bertie Geng, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Chaney Kalinich, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Christina Harden, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Codruta Todeasa, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Cole Jensen, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Daniel Kim, Yale IMPACT Research Team
David McDonald, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Denise Shepard, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Edward Courchaine, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Elizabeth B. White, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Eric Song, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Erin Silva, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Eriko Kudo, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Giuseppe Deluliis, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Harold Rahming, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Hong-jai Park, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Irene Matos, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Jessica Nouws, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Jordan Valdez, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Joseph R. Fauver, Yale IMPACT Research Team, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Joseph Lim, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Kadi-Ann Rose, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Kelly Anastasio, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Kristina Brower, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Laura Glick, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Lokesh Sharma, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Lorenzo Sewanan, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Lynda Knaggs, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Maksym Minasyan, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Maria Batsu, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Mary Petrone, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Maxine Kuang, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Maura Nakahata, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Melissa Campbell, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Melissa Linehan, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Michael H. Askenase, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Michael Simonov, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Mikhail Smolgovsky, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Nicole Sonnert, Yale IMPACT Research Team
Nida Naushad, Yale IMPACT Research Team

Document Type

Article

Journal Title

Nature Communications

Publication Date

2022

Volume

13

Abstract

Although microbial populations in the gut microbiome are associated with COVID-19 severity, a causal impact on 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. We first demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 infection induces gut microbiome dysbiosis in mice, which correlated with alterations to Paneth cells and goblet cells, and markers of barrier permeability. Samples collected from 96 COVID-19 patients at two different clinical sites also revealed substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis, including blooms of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial genera known to include antimicrobial-resistant species. Analysis of blood culture results testing for secondary microbial bloodstream infections with paired microbiome data indicates that bacteria may 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.

MeSH Headings

Mice, Animals, Dysbiosis, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, COVID-19, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Coinfection, SARS-CoV-2, Bacteria, Bacteremia

ISSN

2041-1723

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Included in

Epidemiology Commons

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