Campylobacter vaccination reduces diarrheal disease and infant growth stunting among rhesus macaques

Utilising various Campylobacter vaccination regimens, the authors explore the effect of vaccination on Campylobacter-associated diarrhoea, mortality, and growth kinetics in vaccinated infant rhesus macaques. Campylobacter-associated enteric disease is estimated to be responsible for more than 160 million cases of gastroenteritis each year and is linked to growth stunting of infants living under conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene. Here, we examine naturally occurring Campylobacter-associated diarrhea among rhesus macaques as a model to determine if vaccination could reduce severe diarrheal disease and infant growth stunting. Compared to unvaccinated controls, there are no Campylobacter diarrhea-associated deaths observed among vaccinated infant macaques and all-cause diarrhea-associated infant mortality is decreased by 76% (P = 0.03). By 9 months of age, there is a 1.3 cm increase in dorsal length that equaled a significant 1.28 LAZ (Length-for-Age Z score) improvement in linear growth among vaccinated infants compared to their unvaccinated counterparts (P = 0.001). In this work, we show that Campylobacter vaccination not only reduces diarrheal disease but also potentially serves as an effective intervention that improves infant growth trajectories.

Automated summary

In this study, the authors investigate the impact of different Campylobacter vaccination regimens on Campylobacter-associated diarrhea, mortality, and growth kinetics in infant rhesus macaques. They find that vaccination significantly reduces the risk of diarrhea-associated deaths and improves infant growth trajectories.