Fig. 4. Detailed description of key OTUs discriminating study groups.

A Venn diagram documented that 201 of 512 OTUs were common for both case and control groups. B Bacterial taxa of human oropharyngeal microbiome (HOPM) were identified using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Fifty-nine taxa were significant among cases and controls (LDA score > = 2.5). C, D Bacterial taxa ofthirty-one and thirty-sixwere significant among cases in the different time points Day 1, and HC and Day 15 and HC using LDA(LDA score > = 3). E, F Distinct bacteria taxa of forty-three and forty-seven were identified between Group A and HC as well as Group B and HC(LDA score > = 3). G Microbiome Interpretable Temporal Rule Engine (MITRE) algorithm found that the Enterobactor genus distinctly separates Group A and B.