Bacteria and viruses in children's noses may indicate lung infections

Researchers have found evidence that bacteria and viruses present in a child's nose can help improve the diagnosis and treatment of serious lung infections.

Microbiome in the Nose and Respiratory Infections

Lower respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiolitis and tuberculosis, are among the leading causes of death in young children worldwide.

A new study now reveals that the formation of bacteria and viruses in children's noses could indicate respiratory infections.

Debby Bogaert, of the Inflammation Research Center of the Edinburgh University Medical Research Council, and her colleagues took samples from over 150 hospitalized children with IRLR .

After comparing these samples with those of 300 healthy children, they found that the composition of the microbiome was impaired in the nose of children with respiratory infection. The microbiome refers to the community of microorganisms living in a particular habitat.

In hospitalized children, bacteria and viruses found in the back of the nose and throat were linked to those of the lungs, which facilitated the understanding and diagnosis of the infection.

"Pulmonary infections can be extremely serious in children and babies, and are very distressing for parents," said Bogaert. "Our results show for the first time that the total microbial community of the respiratory tract – rather than a single virus or bacterium – is an essential indicator of respiratory health."

Potential reduction in the need for antibiotics

Bogaert and his colleagues said the microbiome could indicate the severity of a respiratory infection and help doctors predict how long a child needs to stay in the hospital.

The difference can also help identify patients likely to recover naturally, which can potentially reduce the need for antibiotics. The unnecessary use of antibiotics is particularly at the root of the current problem of drug-resistant superbugs, which, according to experts, could endanger millions of lives.

"Our data suggest that the nasopharyngeal microbiota can serve as a valid substitute for the lower respiratory tract microbiota in children with IRL, as clinical IRTs in children result from the interaction between the microbiota and the characteristics of the microbiota. the host, rather than a single microorganism, and that microbiota-based diagnoses could improve future diagnostic and treatment protocols, "wrote the researchers in their study published in the journal Lancet respiratory medicine.

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