Microbial Community Distribution and Core Microbiome in Successive Wound Grades of Individuals with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Abstract

Chronic nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes and are further exacerbated by bacterial colonization. The microbial burden in the wound of each individual displays diverse morphological and physiological characteristics with unique patterns of host-pathogen interactions, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. Treatment involves empirical decisions until definitive results on the causative wound pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles are available. Hence, there is a need for rapid and accurate detection of these polymicrobial communities for effective wound management. Deciphering microbial communities will aid clinicians to tailor their treatment specifically to the microbes prevalent in the DFU at the time of assessment. This may reduce DFUs associated morbidity and mortality while impeding the rise of multidrug-resistant microbes.