Asymptomatic Enteric Virus Infections and Association with the Gut Microbiome in Rural Residents of Northern Laos

Sae Sekiya Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Hiroaki Masuoka Laboratory for Microbiome Science, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan;

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Yuki Mizuno Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Mihoko Kibe Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Satoko Kosaka Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Kazumi Natsuhara Faculty of Nursing, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan;

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Kazuhiro Hirayama Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Nouhak Inthavong Ministry of Health, Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Laos;

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Sengchanh Kounnavong Ministry of Health, Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Laos;

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Shinsuke Tomita Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan;

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Lena Takayasu Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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Wataru Suda Laboratory for Microbiome Science, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan;

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Fumihiro Yagyu Graduate School of International Development and Cooperation, Kibi International University, Hyogo, Japan

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Masahiro Umezaki Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;

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ABSTRACT.

Viral gastrointestinal infections are an important public health concern, and the occurrence of asymptomatic enteric virus infections makes it difficult to prevent and control their spread. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with asymptomatic enteric virus infection in adults in northern Laos. Fecal samples were collected from apparently healthy participants who did not report diarrhea or high fever at the time of the survey in northern Laos, and enteric viruses were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Individual characteristics, including the gut microbiome, were compared between asymptomatic carriers and noncarriers of each enteric virus. Of the participants (N = 255), 12 (4.7%) were positive for norovirus genogroup I (GI), 8 (3.1%) for human adenovirus, and 1 (0.4%) for norovirus GII; prevalence tended to be higher in less-modernized villages. Gut microbial diversity (evaluated by the number of operational taxonomic units) was higher in asymptomatic carriers of norovirus GI or human adenovirus than in their noncarriers. Gut microbiome compositions differed significantly between asymptomatic carriers and noncarriers of norovirus GI or human adenovirus (permutational analysis of variance, P <0.05). These findings imply an association between asymptomatic enteric virus infection and modernization and/or the gut microbiome in northern Laos.

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Author Notes

Financial support: Financial support was provided by JSPS KAKENHI (grant numbers 17H02233, 19H03315, 20K21443, 21H03684, 21J12785, and 22K15195).

Author’s addresses: Sae Sekiya, Yuki Mizuno, Mihoko Kibe, Satoko Kosaka, Lena Takayasu, and Masahiro Umezaki, Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, E-mails: sekiya@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp, mizuno@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp, mihoko.k@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp, skosaka@nagasaki-u.ac.jp, lt425@cornell.edu, and umezaki@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp. Hiroaki Masuoka and Wataru Suda, Laboratory for Microbiome Science, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan, E-mails: hiroaki.masuoka@riken.jp and wataru.suda@riken.jp. Kazumi Natsuhara, Faculty of Nursing, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan, E-mail: kazumi.natsuhara@med.toho-u.ac.jp. Kazuhiro Hirayama, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, E-mail: akazu@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp. Nouhak Inthavong and Sengchanh Kounnavong, Ministry of Health, Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, E-mails: nouhak_25@yahoo.com and sengchanhkounnavong@hotmail.com. Shinsuke Tomita, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan, E-mail: tomishing@nagoya-u.jp. Fumihiro Yagyu, Graduate School of International Development and Cooperation, Kibi International University, Hyogo, Japan, E-mail: fyagyu@gmail.com.

Address correspondence to Sae Sekiya, Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. E-mail: sekiya@humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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