International travel affects gut microbiota

A collaborative study between the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD) and the Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT) demonstrates that traveling and being exposed to new people, traditions, cultures, and unfamiliar foods can alter the gut microbiota and its diversity.

Globalization has enabled countries and people to be more interconnected than ever before. Improved transportation infrastructure, along with the relaxation of visa policies, has made traveling between countries more accessible, as evidenced by the significant increase in international travel in recent decades. Last year, over 1.3 billion people traveled abroad, and according to UN estimates, this number is on track to be surpassed in 2024.

One of the most common health issues among tourists is the so-called 'traveler's diarrhea,' which is linked to the colonization and subsequent transmission of bacteria resistant to antimicrobials such as antibiotics. Although the colonization of these bacteria can be transient and may disappear once individuals return to their country of origin, they can spread rapidly and contribute to the increase in antimicrobial resistance.

Recent studies suggest that the state of the gut microbiota -the microorganisms that live in our gastrointestinal tract- plays an important role in the susceptibility to this diarrhea and the colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacteria during travel.

It has been observed that a lack of diversity in the gut microbiota is associated with diseases, while a healthy and diverse microbiota is related to better health status. The results stem from a collaborative study between the team of Dr. Carmen Muñoz Almagro, coordinator of the Infectious Diseases and Microbiome research group at IRSJD, and Dr. Víctor Monsálvez, researcher of the Community and Healthcare-Associated Infections research group at I3PT.

"The aim of the study is to evaluate whether the composition of the gut microbiota in generally healthy adults can be affected by prolonged stays in non-European countries and to examine which microorganisms are most involved and how they behave," explains Víctor Monsálvez, physician at the Infectious Diseases Service of Parc Taulí and researcher of the group.

The results published in the scientific journal Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease show, on one hand, that there was greater bacterial diversity after a trip of 3 months or more abroad. On the other hand, after comparing travelers/migrants with non-travelers, a higher diversity in the microbiota of the former was confirmed, especially among travelers from less industrialized rural areas.

Thus, the study shows that international travel influences the composition of the gut microbiota and that this impact can vary according to the traveler's epidemiological history, destination, and underlying health conditions.

The study involved researchers Desiree Henares, Pedro Brotons, Meritxell Cubero, and Carmen Muñoz.

Full article

A study shows how international travel affects the gut microbiota. Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí.