Adriana de Jesus Inácio Belas|CIISA- Centre of Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal
The microbiome has an important role in human and animal health. Studies about the fecal microbiome of companion animals are still limited, especially in animals from shelters. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiome diversity in healthy companion animals living in human households and in shelters.
This study highlights that dogs from shelters have a higher relative abundance of bacteria phyla associated with potentially pathogenic bacteria and therefore may contribute to its dissemination through fecal contamination. Interestingly, some of the genera found in shelter dogs have been previously associated with stress in mice. Further studies are required to understand what are the factors responsible for these differences.
Host: Sofia Santos Costa