Medical exposure rapidly restructures gut microbiomes in remote Amazonian Indigenous communities

Summary

This study examines microbiome changes in remote Amazonian Indigenous communities (335 Amerindians across multiple villages) during the introduction of a sustained medical program, before major dietary or lifestyle transitions. The research shows that low-exposure villages have higher baseline gut microbiota diversity than medium-exposure villages. Key findings include rapid, site-specific microbiome restructuring, reduced diversity, and shifts in microbial networks and functions toward urban-associated profiles, with children exhibiting greater sensitivity to these changes.