Characterization of the Fecal Bacterial Microbiota of Healthy and Diarrheic Dairy Calves.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neonatal diarrhea accounts for more than 50% of total deaths in dairy calves. Few population-based studies of cattle have investigated how the microbiota is impacted during diarrhea.

Objectives

To characterize the fecal microbiota and predict the functional potential of the microbial communities in healthy and diarrheic calves.

Methods

Fifteen diarrheic calves between the ages of 1 and 30 days and 15 age-matched healthy control calves were enrolled from 2 dairy farms. The Illumina MiSeq sequencer was used for high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene (Illumina, San Diego, CA).

Results

Significant differences in community membership and structure were identified among healthy calves from different farms. Differences in community

SUBMITTER: Gomez DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5435056 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature