Profound taxonomic and functional gut microbiota alterations associated with trichuriasis: cross-country and country-specific patterns
This study aimed to systematically characterize the taxonomic, functional, and ecological impacts of Trichuris trichiura infection on the human gut microbiota across diverse geographic regions - Cote d Ivoire, Laos, and Tanzania - using unified, high-resolution shotgun metagenomics. As the only soil-transmitted helminth colonizing the large intestine, T. trichiura represents a unique model for investigating helminth-microbiota interactions. The study identifies consistent microbiome alterations, including reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria and increased mucin-degrading taxa, which may compromise gut barrier integrity and modulate immunity. Additionally, the analysis highlights both shared and region-specific microbiota patterns, illustrating that T. trichiura imposes predictable metabolic pressures independent of geographic variability, with implications for natural immunity and parasite persistence. These findings advance our understanding of helminth-induced dysbiosis, providing critical insights to inform microbiome-based therapeutic interventions and global public health strategies against widespread helminth infections.