The role of the microbiota in enteric infectious diseases

Normally, when it comes to host-pathogen interactions, we're talking about the actual host. But it has recently been discovered that the gut microbiota plays a major role in the infectious process. We have studied the role of the microbiota in enteric infections using mouse models developed with E. coli and Salmonella. These studies show that the microbiota plays a critical role in immune development and host responses, as well as in the onset and effects of intestinal infectious diseases. The microbiota also plays a role in host susceptibility to disease, and even affects host metabolism during infection. Results concerning these different aspects are discussed in the case of these infectious agents and how host-pathogen interactions are affected.