The potential immunological mechanisms of gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by antibiotics exacerbate the lethality of influenza viruses

Pulmonary-intestinal immune homeostasis imbalance caused by antibiotic misuse can not only markedly exacerbate the lethality of IAV, but also significantly attenuate the efficacy of antiviral drugs. A mechanistic study confirmed that gut microbes dysbiosis caused by antibiotic pretreatment exacerbates the homeostasis imbalance of host antiviral immunity by blocking the RIG/MDA5/IPS-1 antiviral signaling pathway. However, combination therapy with antibiotics and antivirals effectively reversed the fatal outcome exacerbated by antibiotic pretreatment. Collectively, our findings not only provide a scientific explanation from the perspective of antiviral immunity as to why antibiotics should not be arbitrarily used to treat viral infections but also lay the scientific foundation for the rational clinical use of antivirals and antibiotics for treating influenza.