Impacts of canine distemper virus infection on the giant panda population from the perspective of gut microbiota.

ABSTRACT: The recent increase in infectious disease outbreaks has been directly linked to the global loss of biodiversity and the decline of some endangered species populations. Between December 2014 and March 2015, five captive giant pandas died due to canine distemper virus (CDV) infection in China. CDV has taken a heavy toll on tigers and lions in recent years. Here, we describe the first gut microbiome diversity study of CDV-infected pandas. By investigating the influence of CDV infection on gut bacterial communities in infected and uninfected individuals and throughout the course of infection, we found that CDV infection distorted the gut microbiota composition by reducing the prevalence of the dominant genera, Escherichia and Clostridium, and increasing microbial diversity. Our results highlig

SUBMITTER: Zhao N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5209704 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature