Enteric Bacteria and Parasites with Pathogenic Potential in Individuals of the Colombian Indigenous Tribe Kogui

Abstract

The Kogui tribe is an indigenous population living in Colombia. The prevalence values of some enteric bacteria, parasites and microsporidia in Kogui stool samples (n = 192) were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thus, genus- or species-specifically recorded positivity rates among the Kogui community were assessed. Protozoa were the leading microorganisms in the stool samples of the Kogui, with an average of 1.5 pathogens per sample, followed by bacteria, with 0.6 pathogens per samples and helminths, with 0.3 pathogens per sample. Microsporidia were not detected. Thereby, the majority of detected protozoa comprised species with questionable etiological relevance such as Blastocystis hominis (n = 173) and Dientamoeba fragilis (n = 44), but also a considerable proportion of Giardia duodenalis (n = 71). Cryptosporidium spp., in contrast, was found in a single instance only. The majority of recorded bacteria were Campylobacter spp., with a strikingly high proportion of 50% (n = 96), followed by Shigella spp./enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) (n = 14) and Aeromonas spp. (n = 4). The quantitatively most important detected helminths were Ascaris spp. (n = 15), Hymenolepis spp. (n = 14) and Trichuris trichiura (n = 12), followed by Necator americanus (n = 6), Taenia spp. (n = 3) and Strongyloides stercoralis (n = 3) in descending order of abundance. As expected, the Kogui people’s living conditions comprising poverty, lack of access to clean water and simple housing favor a high number of gastrointestinal infections. Preventive approaches are needed to reduce their risk of infection.

The Gut Microbiome of an Indigenous Agropastoralist Population in a Remote Area of Colombia with High Rates of Gastrointestinal Infections and Dysbiosis

“…Focusing on age and gender effects, it is noteworthy that Clostridia were exclusively found in children under the age of 5 years. This finding is in line with the previous observation that Clostridioides difficile is virtually absent in stool samples of Wiwa, irrespective of the abundance or absence of complaints of diarrhea [ 57 , 58 , 59 ].…”

Collider Bias Assessment in Colombian Indigenous Wiwa and Kogui Populations with Chronic Gastroenteric Disorder of Likely Infectious Etiology Suggests Complex Microbial Interactions Rather Than Clear Assignments of Etiological Relevance

“…Consequently, the indigenous only showed up for medical assessment and therapy if disease symptoms reached unbearable or critical states, e.g., in the case of bloody diarrhea. In line with this socioculturally maintained state of chronic gastroenteric disorder in the assessed indigenous populations, high rates of enteric pathogens were detected in their stool specimens during the surveillance assessments associated with high rates of multiple detections within the same sample, as previously described [1][2][3].…”

“…Composite datasets were created based on the meta-data of historic surveillance assessments on Colombian indigenous Wiwa and Kogui populations from the years 2014, 2018 and 2021, as previously published [1][2][3]. These assessments included diagnostic stool results based on both microscopy and real-time PCR in varying compositions.…”

“…In both Wiwa and Kogui populations, surveillance assessments including both stool microscopy and molecular diagnostic approaches have been conducted [1][2][3]. Shortly summarized, the assessed indigenous populations suffered from the medical condition of virtually constant chronic gastroenteric disorders of a likely infectious etiology with only gradual changes in intensity over time, associated with disturbed stool frequency and consistency.…”

“…Consequently, we performed a collider bias analysis with the meta-data from previous surveillance studies on enteric microorganisms in Colombian indigenous individuals with chronic gastroenteric disorders [1][2][3]. The aim was the identification of potential leading pathogens based on negative associations pointing towards potential collider bias situations.…”