Dissertation
CHARACTERIZATION OF BOVINE FECAL MICROBIOMES RELATIVE TO DIFFERENT DISEASE STATES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004358
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124597
Abstract
The composition and function of the gut microbiome can influence many aspects of animal health and production. Attempts to identify new strategies to manipulate the microbiome to improve animal health and minimize the environmental impacts of dairy systems are of great importance to animal, human, and environmental health. The objectives of this research were to characterize the fecal microbiome of dairy calves with varying severities of gastrointestinal (GI) disease and develop a farm-specific fecal microbial transplant (FMT) as an alternative treatment for GI disease in dairy calves. To identify healthy donors for the FMT product, as well as characterize changes across different gradients of GI disease and breed specificities, the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA of fecal samples from calves of different breeds and ages was sequenced and analyzed. Our results indicated that species of the genus Lactobacillus, S. gallolyticus and E. coli were enriched in calves with GI disease associated with depressed behavior. In addition, differences were most evident between calves with or without GI disease rather than between breeds. The reason behind the overgrowth of Lactobacillus is not entirely clear; however, the higher intestinal passage rate in calves with diarrhea and the use of medicated milk with antibiotics might have impacted the composition of the microbiota. In the second part of the study the objective was to evaluate the capacity of a farm-specific FMT product to prevent or treat GI disease and alter the calves’ fecal microbial composition. Although the FMT product was rich in organisms typically known for their beneficial probiotic properties, the FMT therapy did not prevent or ameliorate GI disease in dairy calves. FMT calves were less likely to recover from GI disease, and more likely to die due to GI disease complications. Moreover, FMT calves had a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus species compared to control calves. This pattern previously observed in calves with GI disease in the first part of the study suggests that the FMT might have disrupted the calf’s fecal microbiome. Our results indicate the need to have an established protocol when developing FMT products for neonatal dairy calves.
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Details
- Title
- CHARACTERIZATION OF BOVINE FECAL MICROBIOMES RELATIVE TO DIFFERENT DISEASE STATES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
- Creators
- Giovana Simao Slanzon
- Contributors
- Craig McConnel (Advisor)Benjamin Ridenhour (Committee Member)Claire Burbick (Committee Member)Dale Moore (Committee Member)Devendra Shah (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Medicine, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 134
- Identifiers
- 99900883035801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation