Gut microbiota differences induced by Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in stray cats in South Korea

T. gondii is a highly prevalent parasite worldwide, with cats serving as its final host. However, few studies have investigated the impact of T. gondii infection on cat gut microbiota. Therefore, this study examined the influence of T. gondii infection on the gut microbiota of stray cats and identif...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology research (1987) 2023-10, Vol.122 (10), p.2413-2421
Main Authors: Hong, Sooji, Choi, Jun Ho, Oh, Singeun, Yi, Myung-hee, Kim, Soo Lim, Kim, Myungjun, Lee, Chung Won, Yang, Hyun-Jong, Chai, Jong-Yil, Yong, Tai-Soon, Jung, Bong-Kwang, Kim, Ju Yeong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cats
Escherichia
Feces
Health aspects
Immunology
Infection
Infections
Intestinal microflora
Medical Microbiology
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Microbiology
Microbiota
Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms)
Pathogens
Protozoa
RNA
rRNA 16S
Zoonoses
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Summary:T. gondii is a highly prevalent parasite worldwide, with cats serving as its final host. However, few studies have investigated the impact of T. gondii infection on cat gut microbiota. Therefore, this study examined the influence of T. gondii infection on the gut microbiota of stray cats and identified potential pathogens in their feces. This study examined T. gondii infection through blood of stray cats and the influence of microbiota in their feces using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The results revealed significant differences in gut microbiota composition and diversity between the T. gondii seropositive and seronegative groups. Seropositive samples displayed a lower number of operational taxonomic units and reduced Shannon index than the seronegative samples. The seropositive and seronegative groups exhibited enrichment of taxa, including Escherichia and Enterobacteriaceae and Collinsella , Bifidobacterium , and Roseburia , respectively. Furthermore, potential pathogen species, including Campylobacter , Escherichia , and Streptococcus , were identified in the fecal samples. These findings suggest that T. gondii infection significantly impacts gut microbiota composition and diversity in stray cats. Additionally, an increased potential pathogen load, represented by Escherichia spp., was observed. These results underscore the importance of monitoring the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in stray cats, as they can serve as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases.
ISSN:0932-0113
1432-1955
DOI:10.1007/s00436-023-07943-y