Gut Microbiome Linked to Lower Malaria Risk in Infants

In a small study in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 6-week-old infants with healthy gut microbiomes were less likely to contract malaria in their first year of life. While the study is preliminary, it suggests the possibility that treatments such as probiotics could protect against malaria, which kills more than 600,000 people a year, primarily children in sub-Saharan Africa. Potential clinical applications would require more research, however.