Breast Milk Virome and Bacterial Microbiome Resilience in Kenyan Women Living with HIV
Rabia Maqsood, Joshua B. Reus, Lily I. Wu, LaRinda A. Holland, Ruth Nduati, Dorothy Mbori‐Ngacha, Elizabeth Maleche‐Obimbo, Emily R. Begnel, Soren Gantt, Ednah Ojee, Dalton Wamalwa, Grace John‐Stewart, Jennifer A. Slyker, Dara A. Lehman, Efrem S. Lim
Abstract
Breastfeeding plays an important role in seeding the infant gut microbiome and mammary health. Although most studies focus on the diverse breast milk bacterial communities, little is known about the viral communities harbored in breast milk. We performed the first breast milk virome study of an HIV population. In this study cohort of Kenyan women living with HIV from the pre-antiretroviral therapy era, we found that breast milk harbors a core bacterial microbiome and a virome dominated by human cytomegalovirus. The virome and bacterial microbiome were not substantially altered by immunosuppression or associated with infant mortality. Together, these findings indicate resilience of the microbial community in breast milk compartmentalization. These findings advance out fundamental understanding of the breast milk core microbiome and virome interactions in the context of HIV disease.