Mild and Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection Induces Respiratory and Intestinal Microbiome Changes in the K18-hACE2 Transgenic Mouse Model
Brittany Seibert, C. Joaquín Cáceres, Stivalis Cárdenas-García, Silvia Carnaccini, Ginger Geiger, Daniela S. Rajão, Elizabeth A. Ottesen, Daniel R. Pérez
Abstract
inhibitor, GC-376. Decreased microbial diversity and taxonomic abundances of the phyla Firmicutes, particularly, Lachnospiraceae, correlating with infection dosage were observed in the cecum. In addition, microbes within the family Akkermansiaceae were increasingly more prevalent during peak infection, which is observed in other viral infections. The lung microbiome showed similar microbial diversity to that of the control, independent of antiviral treatment. Decreased Bacteroidetes and increased Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were observed in the lungs in a virus dose-dependent manner. These studies add to a better understanding of the complexities associated with the intestinal microbiome during respiratory infections.