A Lactobacillus-Deficient Vaginal Microbiota Dominates Postpartum Women in Rural Malawi.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial community found in the vagina is an important determinant of a woman's health and disease status. A healthy vaginal microbiota is associated with low species richness and a high proportion of one of a number of different Lactobacillus spp. When disrupted, the resulting abnormal vaginal microbiota is associated with a number of disease states and poor pregnancy outcomes. Studies up until now have concentrated on relatively small numbers of American and European populations that may not capture the full complexity of the community or adequately predict what constitutes a healthy microbiota in all populations. In this study, we sampled and characterized the vaginal microbiota found on vaginal swabs taken postpartum from a cohort of 1,107 women in rural Malawi. We found a

SUBMITTER: Doyle R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5835753 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature