Transferring feces from a healthy patient to a patient with an imbalanced population of bacteria is growing in popularity as a way to regulate gut health and fight off nasty infections like C. diff.But bacteria aren't the only thing along for the ride, says new research from the American Society for Microbiology.
In a study of the fecal transplants from a healthy donor to three pediatric patients suffering from ulcerative colitis who each received a course of 22 to 30 transplants, researchers sequenced the genomes of viral particles found in the stool to determine whether any viruses were transferred.
"We could see bacterial viruses moving between humans and we were able to learn some things about transmission, but we did not see any viruses that grow on animal cells that may be of concern for infecting and harming patients," said Frederic Bushman, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and a study author. "We saw mostly temperate bacteriophages."
For the most part, these viruses are in a latent state and of no major concern to the host, the researchers conclude. However, while only some temperate bacteriophages pose a threat, this viral model could have evolved to support the transfer of infection between host environments, and this type of virus could lead to infection during a time of stress, they said.