Gut microbiome structure in asylum seekers newly arrived in Italy from Africa
The global landscape of migration has evolved significantly, with the number of international migrants increasing more than threefold since 1970, reaching approximately 281 million by 2020. This rise includes a notable surge in forcibly displaced individuals due to conflicts, wars, and human rights violations. Additionally, climate change is reshaping migration patterns, as environmental degradation and extreme weather events contribute to displacement, with projections indicating that 143 million individuals may be uprooted by climate catastrophes over the next three decades. In this context, migrants experience chronic stress due to the uncertainties of their journey, exposure to trauma, and changes in their living conditions, which can exacerbate health issues, including through impairment of the gut microbiome. Our study focuses on the intestinal microbiome of 79 asylum seekers newly arrived in Italy from African countries through their comparison with deposited datasets currently available in the literature of worldwide populations encompassing different geographical distribution and subsistence type. This year-long microbiological surveillance, conducted from 2022 to 2023, aimed to assess how migration-related stressors affect refugees' gut health. Our findings suggest significant deviations in the gut microbiome composition of refugees compared to traditional rural populations, possibly driven by stressors such a psychological trauma and dietary changes. in particular, the loss of microbial diversity may increase susceptibility to health issues, highlighting the need for targeted public health strategies for refugee populations.