Fermented Goat's Milk Contributes to the Recovery of Iron Deficiency Anemia via Modulation of the Gut Microbiome.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global public health concern affecting 1.6 billion people worldwide. The administration of iron supplements during the treatment of IDA adversely affects the intestinal barrier function and the composition and functionality of the intestinal microbiome, both of which are already altered during IDA. For this reason, it is of great interest to develop nutritional strategies aimed at alleviating these gut alterations associated with IDA and its treatment. In this sense, fermented goat's milk (FGM) was studied due to its nutritional quality. Our findings showed that in anemic animals the consumption of a FGM-based diet, compared to a standard diet, had positive modulatory effects on the intestinal microbiome. FGM-based diet restored intestinal dysbiosis, the intestinal barrier functionality, and bacterial translocation, contributing to a more efficient recovery of IDA. Therefore, FGM is a useful nutritional tool to ease intestinal alterations occurring during IDA and during its treatment.

Urinary Microbiome: Yin and Yang of the Urinary Tract.

The application of next generation sequencing techniques has allowed the characterization of the urinary tract microbiome and has led to the rejection of the pre-established concept of sterility in the urinary bladder. Not only have microbial communities in the urinary tract been implicated in the maintenance of health but alterations in their composition have also been associated with different urinary pathologies, such as urinary tract infections (UTI). Therefore, the study of the urinary microbiome in healthy individuals, as well as its involvement in disease through the proliferation of opportunistic pathogens, could open a potential field of study, leading to new insights into prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for urinary pathologies. In this review we present an overview of the current state of knowledge about the urinary microbiome in health and disease, as well as its involvement in the development of new therapeutic strategies.

First case of abdominal infection caused by bacteroides fluxus.

Bacteroides fluxus is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacillus isolated from human faeces in healthy individuals. Until now, this bacterium had not been involved in human diseases. We report the first case of abdominal infection due to this microorganism in an elderly patient. A 76-year-old man with a history of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease presented with dyspnea, orthopnea and cough. The clinical evolution worsened with both a colonic ischemia and further diffuse peritonitis of pancreatic origin. Peritoneal fluid was obtained and the culture yielded B. fluxus in pure culture. Resistance to penicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, clindamycin and moxifloxacin was documented. Treatment with meropenem + linezolid was started, but the patient finally died due to a multiorganic failure.