Gut microbiota and enteric viruses

The interaction between the gut microbiota and enteric viruses is a complex biological system that significantly influences the outcome of gastrointestinal infections [1, 6]. The gut microbiota, a diverse community of commensal microorganisms, can either promote or inhibit the infectivity of enteric viruses such as Norovirus, Rotavirus, and Poliovirus [2, 7]. Proviral mechanisms include the stabilization of viral particles by bacterial components like lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the facilitation of viral attachment to host cells via bacterial glycans like histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) [3, 5]. Conversely, the microbiota can exert antiviral effects by producing metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that prime the host's innate immune response or by physically competing for binding sites [4, 8]. Therapeutic strategies targeting this axis involve the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to restore a protective microbial balance and enhance antiviral defenses [1, 5]. Because this represents a multi-organism interaction rather than a single molecule, it is categorized as a biological system rather than a discrete therapeutic target [1, 7].

Other names

Gut microbiome-enteric virus interactionEnteric virome-microbiota crosstalkMicrobiota-mediated viral pathogenesis

Modulation of the intestinal microbial ecosystem to either enhance host antiviral immunity or physically interfere with viral attachment, stability, and entry [1, 3, 5].