Changes in the Microbiome Profile in Different Parts of the Intestine in Piglets with Diarrhea

Abstract

Determining the taxonomic composition of microbial consortia of the piglet intestine is of great importance for pig production. However, knowledge on the variety of the intestinal microbiome in newborn piglets is limited. Piglet diarrhea is a serious gastrointestinal disease with a high morbidity and mortality that causes great economic damage to the pig industry. In this study, we investigated the microbiome of various sections of the piglet intestine and compared the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus were the most common in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides dominated in the rectum. Comparing the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets revealed a reduced number of Lactobacillus bacteria as a hallmark of diarrhea, as did an increased content of representatives of the Escherichia-Shigella genus and a reduced number of Bacteroides, which indicates the contribution of these bacteria to the development of diarrhea in piglets. The relative abundance of Enterococcus bacteria was higher in the diarrhea group. Although some bacteria of this genus are commensals, a small number of species may be associated with the development of diarrhea in piglets. Therefore, our results indicate that the gut microbiome may be an important factor in the development of diarrhea in piglets.

Importance of Zinc Nanoparticles for the Intestinal Microbiome of Weaned Piglets

“…Escherichia Shigella, Streptococcus, Sphaerochaeta and Enterococcus were increased in pigs with diarrhea compared to the healthy group. Surprisingly, the bacterial diversity was higher in the healthy pigs compared to pigs with diarrhea among all intestinal segments (illeum, caecum, colon and rectum) ( 112 ).…”

Dynamic changes of gut fungal community in horse at different health states

“…Diarrhea is deemed as the major factor impeding the development of livestock industry because of it could cause reduced growth performance and a large number of deaths of farmed animals ( 18 , 19 ). Increasing surveys demonstrated that diarrhea occurs in almost all animals, causing huge economic losses every year ( 20 , 21 ). Diarrhea could cause the body to lose a great of water and nutrients, thus resulting in energy imbalances, weakness, starvation or even death ( 22 , 23 ).…”

Different creep compound feed formulations for new born piglets: influence on growth performance and health parameters

“…The less abundant genera were Lactobacillus, Lachnoclostridium, Enterococcus, Alloprevotella and Peptostreptococcus . Although microbial profiles in piglets can differ depending on the circumstances, the abovementioned genera are frequently found as the normal microbiota in the early life stages of piglets ( 40 , 41 ). Although Escherichia are known as pathogens which can cause diseases in new-born piglets, their high prevalence in pigs does not indicate infection, as E. coli , which is the most prevalent species among Escherichia is highly variable and usually has no enterotoxigenic properties.…”