Infections by the gastrointestinal

Infections by the gastrointestinal pathogen Clostridium difficile are frequently associated with disruption of the normal gut flora by antimicrobials (e.g., during surgery). Stein et al. (2013) used a PLM to simulate the concentration of 10 commensal bacteria and C. difficile in a mouse gut under different scenarios of pathogen infection and antibiotic (clindamycin) treatment. They compared the model predictions with observations of 16S rRNA concentrations (in copies per cubic centimeter) (Figure 4). The model was able to describe the response of the microbial community to the perturbations, including the increased vulnerability to pathogen invasion after antibiotic treatment. The model also reproduced the increase in Akkermansia and Blautia following antibiotic treatment, albeit with a longer time delay.