*Bamidele, T. A., Fowora, M. A., Raheem, T. Y., Ajayi, A., Adagbada, A., Yisau, J. I., Salau, O. Y., Shaibu, J. O., Amoo, O. S., Aiyedogbon, N., Fesobi, T. W., Akintunde, G., Iwalokun, B. A., Smith, S. I., and Salako, B. L. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, 6, Edmund Crescent, Yaba-Lagos, Nigeria
*Correspondence to: bamideletj@gmail.com; Tel: +2348038578093; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000–0003–2155–8639
Abstract:
Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), when disseminated to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), can cause alterations in the composition and diversity of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota. However, there is a paucity of data linking SARS-CoV-2 fecal negativity with the GI microbial balance. This study investigated the association between the GI bacterial composition and clinically defined asymptomatic, mild/moderate COVID-19 fecal-negative individuals.
Methodology: This was a cross sectional, comparative study of GI bacterial composition in COVID-19 nasopharyngeal (NP) -positive (n=7) and negative (n=5) participants at the testing facility of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research between 6th July and 8th August 2022. Faecal samples were collected from the 12 participants. The RNA extracted from the NP-positive samples was used for RT‒qPCR detection of the nucleocapsid and open reading frame (ORF1ab) genes, while DNA from all the faecal samples was used for 16S rRNA metataxonomic analysis. Continue reading “SARS-CoV-2 faecal negativity and gastrointestinal eubiosis in non-severe COVID-19 in Lagos, Nigeria”