Abstract
The human respiratory tract hosts both pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The development of well-conserved 16S rRNA sequencing and culture-independent techniques has enabled many achievements in the study of the human microbiome. Microbial composition of the respiratory tract in early childhood has been shown to correlate to respiratory health in later stages of life. This review highlights current understandings of respiratory microbiota development in healthy children, examples of microbial interactions, impacts on the host immune system, and the relationship between respiratory tract microbiome and respiratory health.
Figures and Tables
Table 1
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