Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing.

ABSTRACT: Gut bacterial communities have a profound influence on the health of humans and animals. Early-life gut microbial community structure influences the development of immunological competence and susceptibility to disease. For the Thoroughbred racehorse, the significance of early-life microbial colonisation events on subsequent health and athletic performance is unknown. Here we present data from a three-year cohort study of horses bred for racing designed to explore interactions between early-life gut bacterial community structure, health events in later life and athletic performance on the racetrack. Our data show that gut bacterial community structure in the first months of life predicts the risk of specific diseases and athletic performance up to three years old. Foals with lower faecal b

SUBMITTER: Leng J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11306797 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature