Natural microbiota in viral and helminth infections. Addendum to: Personalized vaccination. II. The role of natural microbiota in a vaccine-induced immunity

Numerous original and review papers have emerged over recent years concerning the natural microbiota and its interaction with the mammal host’s body. This addendum supplements in short our previous review article on the role of microbiota in the host immunity [1] paying particular attention to such essential aspects as the composition and role of gut microbiota in viral infections as well as the interplay between the microbiota and the macrofauna inhabiting the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. The host immune system, commensal microbiota and macrofauna are elements of an integrated system in which the relationships are bidirectional. As demonstrated in the article, virus or helminth infection alters the composition of commensal gut microbiota but, in turn, commensal microbiota influences the fate of a virus or helminth infection. Natural microbiota located on external and internal surfaces of the host body is a prominent element of its health and condition, including the functioning of the immune system [1,2,3]. The gastrointestinal tract harbors the highest number and the greatest diversity of microbial organisms, so the studies presented in the article regard gut microbiota.