Vaginal Microbiota and Dysbiosis

This week's #micromeded is all about the vaginal microbiota—suggested by @nmcodispoti. This post is meant to specifically investigate the protective role of the vaginal microbiota against invading pathogens.

The vaginal flora is mainly composed of Lactobacilli who secrete lactic acid and bacteriocin to lower the pH and prevent colonization by other bacteria or pathogens by disfavoring their growth conditions.

Some of the pathogens that can take over the vaginal mucosa if the Lactobacilli are not present (i.e.: after treatment with antibiotics) or if the pathogen is inoculated in sufficient quantities (i.e.: after sexual intercourse) include fungi, like Candida albicans, pathogenic bacteria, like Gardnerella vaginalis, and Eukaryotic parasites, like Trichomonas vaginalis. In fact, some viral infections are even prevented by the healthy vaginal flora.

I hope you enjoyed this short exploration into the beauty and complexity of the vaginal microbiota. Tune in next week for more #micromeded infographics.

Figure created with Biorender.com