A research team examined the oral microbiomes of 150 individuals experiencing acute febrile illness. The study took place across two different locations in Senegal. Scientists analyzed samples to understand how fever and location affected the community of bacteria in the mouth.
The results showed that oral microbiome composition differed between the two locations. Additionally, the diversity and richness of these oral bacteria were significantly reduced in people with high fever. The team also detected at least one known pathogen in 23 of the 150 samples, with Borrelia crocidurae being the most frequently identified. Viruses, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic, were found in oral samples from 10 of 72 participants and in plasma samples from 9 of 78 participants.
The study also noted a high frequency of samples expressing antibiotic resistance genes, with resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics being the most prevalent type. Another 24% of samples expressed virulence factor genes. While these findings highlight the complexity of infections in this population, the study is observational. Readers should understand that these results describe links between fever and oral bacteria but do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. More research is needed to determine if these changes are harmful or how they develop.