The impact of respiratory infections and probiotic use on the nasal microbiota of frail residents in long-term care homes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Residents in long-term care homes, who tend to be of advanced age and frail, are at increased risk of respiratory infections. The respiratory microbiota is known to change with age, but whether these changes contribute to the risk of infection is not known. Our goal was to determine how the nasal microbiota of frail older adults changes during symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI) and how this may be impacted by enrolment in a placebo-controlled trial testing the feasibility of administering a Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG probiotic to prevent respiratory infection (2014-2017).

Methods

The microbiome of the nasal (mid-turbinate) of 150 residents of long-term care homes was interrogated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

We identified a diverse a

SUBMITTER: Bowdish DME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10518876 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature