Fecal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Infants Born to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Mothers: a Pilot Study

Overview

Journal PeerJ

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health
General Medicine

Date 2024 Sep 2

PMID 39221275

Authors

Dylan K P Blaufus

Karen M Kalanetra

Rosa Pesavento

Pranav Garlapati

Brittany C Baikie

Kara M Kuhn-Riordon

Mark A Underwood

Diana H Taft

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs during infection, particularly in pediatric populations. The gut microbiota are associated with resistance to enteric pathogens. COVID-19 is associated with alterations to the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that the gut microbiome of infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers differs between infants with and without fecal shedding of the virus.

Methods: We enrolled 10 infants born to SARS-CoV-2+ mothers. We used qPCR on fecal RNA to test for SARS-CoV-2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region to assess the gut microbiome. Infant SARS-CoV-2 status from nasal swabs was abstracted from medical records.

Results: Of the 10 included infants, nine were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal swab with 1 testing positive. Four infants, including the nasal swab positive infant, had at least one sample with detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 fecal shedding. Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes in feces was associated with increased gut alpha diversity compared to no detection by a linear mixed effects model ( < 0.001). Detection of both SARS-CoV-2 genes was associated with increased levels Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Ruminococceae by MaAsLin2.

Conclusion: Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurs in infants who test negative on nasal swabs and is associated with differences in the gut microbiome.

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