Pathobionts are microorganisms that are a part of the human microbiome and usually live as non-harmful symbionts but can cause harm under certain circumstances. These microorganisms are often considered “opportunistic microorganisms” as they cause disease only when a host has impaired/weakened immune defenses and altered microbiota composition and intestinal barrier integrity. Examples of pathobionts include some species of E.coli, and herpes simplex (Jochum & Stecher, 2020).
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