Early immunological and microbial differences between children in rural Africa and Northern Europe

Rural African children have higher levels of immune system cytokines and more frequent pathogen infections than European children. This difference is evident from 6 months of age and becomes more pronounced as children grow. Gut microbiota diversity and composition also differ significantly between the two groups. These early-life variations in the immune system and gut microbiome may contribute to the rising rates of chronic inflammatory diseases in societies adopting Westernized lifestyles.