Equine fecal microbiota changes associated with anthelmintic administration
Date
2018
Authors
Kunz, Isabelle, author
Coleman, Stephen, advisor
Hess, Tanja, committee member
Hassel, Diana, committee member
Metcalf, Jessica, committee member
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Abstract
The equine gastrointestinal tract contains a complex ecosystem comprised of microorganisms and intestinal helminth parasites. Increasing evidence suggests that horses rely on their gastrointestinal microbial populations for many aspects of metabolic and immune function. Furthermore, interactions between the microbes, helminths, and their host may impact these functions, which are vital to maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis. The use of anthelmintic drugs is a common practice of intestinal helminth parasite control in domestic horse health management. The use of anthelmintic drugs is very effective for controlling the burden of parasitic infection and associated clinical signs, however anthelmintic administration has also been associated with gastrointestinal disturbances in the horse. The potential effects of anthelmintic drug administration on the equine gastrointestinal microbiota and its' role in homeostasis is not yet understood. The objective of research presented in this thesis is to investigate the impact of anthelmintic administration on the equine gastrointestinal microbiota. This goal was addressed in two main studies, which used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to identify and describe the microbial populations present in equine fecal samples. The first study described is a pilot project which aimed to characterize the impact of anthelmintic treatment on the fecal microbiota of horses without an observable helminth infection. The results of this study indicated that subtle differences in the microbial community composition and structure are detectable between samples collected before and after anthelmintic treatment. A second study was then conducted as a follow-up to the pilot which included horses with varying detectable levels of helminth infection as determined by fecal egg counts. Results of the second study further demonstrated microbiota changes following anthelmintic treatment, while also suggesting that the most notable effects of anthelmintic treatment may be observed in fecal samples between 48 and 72 hours post-treatment. The results of these studies suggest that anthelmintic treatment may be associated with changes in the equine fecal microbiota.
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Subject
anthelmintic
horse
microbiota
equine
16S
microbiome