The vaginal microflora is important for maintaining vaginal health and preventing infections of the reproductive tract. The rectum has been suggested as the major source for the colonisation of the vaginal econiche.
Identification and genotyping of bacteria from paired vaginal and rectal samples from pregnant women indicates similarity between vaginal and rectal microflora.
Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium. Nabil.ElAila@UGent.be
