Adding another reason for doctors to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, new research shows that a reduction in the variety of microbes in the gut interferes with the immune system’s ability to fight off disease.
A team of researchers at the School of Medicine, headed by CIC member, Bill Petri, have found that antibiotic use made neutrophils, a type of immune cell, less effective in fighting infections and weakened the intestinal barrier against invading bugs.
UVA Newsroom article
PLoS Pathogens page.