Gut Life Across Cities and Villages

Researchers studied poop samples from 1387 people in three places in Madagascar and one city in Germany to see how the tiny living things inside us differ when people live more or less in cities. They looked at both animals and bacteria that live in the gut by sequencing two different DNA markers, one for eukaryotes (animals and fungi) and one for bacteria. The results showed clear regional differences. In Madagascar, the gut was home to more worm and protozoa species such as Schistosoma, Necator, Entamoeba and Dientamoeba. In Germany the bacterial community was dominated by Bacteroides, while in Madagascar Prevotella and Firmicutes were more common.

Fungi that are linked to food increased as people moved from rural areas in Madagascar toward the more urban German setting, reaching their highest levels there. The study highlights that we need to consider both animal and bacterial microbes when researching gut health, especially as people around the world become more urbanized. It also points to a gap in knowledge about how fungi from food and the environment influence our gut ecosystem.

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