Alterations in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in weaned piglets infected with Balantioides coli.

Balantioides coli is a ciliated parasite that can cause diarrhea when inhabiting the colon and cecum of pigs and humans. However, information regarding the changes in structure and composition of the gut microbiome in piglets infected with B. coli remains scarce. In this study, 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was conducted on fecal samples from both B. coli-positive piglets with diarrhea and B. coli-negative piglets without diarrhea. The results showed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the major phyla in the two groups, and the relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes, including Ruminococcaceae and Clostridiaceae, was significantly lower in the B. coli-positive samples than in the B. coli-negative ones (p < 0.05). Compared with B. coli-negative samples, Alloprevotella and Faecalibacterium showed distinctly higher relative abundances (p < 0.05) in the B. coli-positive samples, and the abundances of some potential pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia-Shigella and Campylobacter, were positively correlated with B. coli infection and diarrhea of weaned piglets. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in fecal microbiota diversity and abundances of predicted functional genes between B. coli-colonized and B. coli-negative samples (p <  0.05). Taken together, these findings suggest that there were significant differences in the bacterial community composition, diversity, and functions between the B. coli-positive and B. coli-negative piglets, and the colonization by B. coli may be associated with the dysbiosis of gut microbiota structure in weaned piglets.

Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Slaughtered Goats in Central China.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections can cause reproductive failure in animals, including goats, and toxoplasmosis is one of the most important foodborne diseases. However, information on the molecular prevalence and genetic characterization of T. gondii and N. caninum in the tissues of goats in China is limited. In this study, brain samples of 422 slaughtered goats were collected from slaughterhouses in Henan and Anhui provinces, Central China, and examined for the presence of T. gondii and N. caninum by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on B1 and NC5 genes, respectively. The prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum DNA was 5.2% and 2.8%, respectively. No significant differences were found between the prevalences of two parasite infections and animal age, sex, and region (p > 0.05). Two of 22 T. gondii-positive samples were completely genotyped at 11 genetic markers (SAG1, [3' + 5'] SAG2, alternative SAG2 [alt. SAG2], SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico) using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and were identified as genotype ToxoDB no. 225, which has not been previously reported in goats in any country worldwide. For N. caninum, two different sequences at the ITS1 region, three genotypes at the MS5 microsatellite locus, and one genotype at the MS8 locus were identified. This study showed that T. gondii and N. caninum are moderately prevalent in goats in Central China; however, it should be emphasized that T. gondii prevalence in goats poses a potential health threat for consumers in the investigated areas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the genetic characterization of N. caninum isolates from goats in China. Our results have important implications for a better understanding of the genetic diversity of these parasites in China.

Occurrence and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in slaughtered domestic rabbits in central China.

Currently, information on the occurrence and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in tissues of rabbits in China is lacking. In this study, brain and heart samples from 470 slaughtered domestic rabbits were collected in Henan Province, Central China. The occurrence rate of T. gondii and N. caninum DNA detected by nested PCR was 2.8% and 2.1%, respectively. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the frequency of the two parasite infections in relation to sex, breed, and region. Three out of 13 T. gondii-positive samples were completely or partially genotyped at 11 genetic markers using PCR-RFLP, and one was identified as ToxoDB genotype #9. For N. caninum, three different sequences at the ITS1 region and two genotypes at the MS5 microsatellite locus were identified. To our knowledge, this is the first genetic characterization of N. caninum isolates from rabbits.