Abstract
The role of bacterial communities in canine nasal disease has not been studied so far using next generation sequencing methods. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes has revealed that the canine upper respiratory tract harbors a diverse microbial community; however, changes in the composition of nasal bacterial communities in dogs with nasal disease have not been described so far. Aim of the study was to characterize the nasal microbiome of healthy dogs and compare it to that of dogs with histologically confirmed nasal neoplasia and chronic rhinitis. Nasal swabs were collected from healthy dogs (n = 23), dogs with malignant nasal neoplasia (n = 16), and dogs with chronic rhinitis (n = 8). Bacterial DNA was extracted and sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was performed. Data were analyzed using Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME). A total of 376 Operational Taxonomic Units out of 26 bacterial phyla were detected. In healthy dogs, Moraxella spp. was the most common species, followed by Phyllobacterium spp., Cardiobacteriaceae, and Staphylococcus spp. While Moraxella spp. were significantly decreased in diseased compared to healthy dogs (p = 0.005), Pasteurellaceae were significantly increased (p = 0.001). Analysis of similarities used on the unweighted UniFrac distance metric (p = 0.027) was significantly different when nasal microbial communities of healthy dogs were compared to those of dogs with nasal disease. The study showed that the canine nasal cavity is inhabited by a highly species-rich bacterial community, and suggests significant differences between the nasal microbiome of healthy dogs and dogs with nasal disease.
Highlights
A highly diverse community of microorganisms colonizes human and animal bodies
This study revealed a lower species richness and a higher abundance of the family Moraxellaceae in the nostrils compared to other skin sites within a population of healthy dogs [2]
No significant difference in body weight was identified between healthy dogs (17.5 ± 9.9 kg) and dogs with nasal tumors (24.6 ± 14.8 kg) or chronic rhinitis (21.7 ± 16.9 kg)
Summary
A highly diverse community of microorganisms colonizes human and animal bodies. Since generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes has been established as a method to characterize these communities, the understanding of interactions between bacteria and their host has considerably improved. For several organ systems, including gastrointestinal tract [1], skin [2], oral cavity [3], vagina [4], and recently nasal cavity [5], the microbiome of healthy dogs has been described. It was shown that in dogs with gastrointestinal disease, including. Nasal microbiome of dogs inflammatory bowel disease and acute diarrhea, alterations in the microbiome are associated with the underlying pathology [6, 7]. In dogs with chronic rhinitis, bacteria have been discussed as primary or secondary pathogens, as in some patients, at least temporarily, clinical signs improve with antibiotic treatment [8]. In dogs with nasal neoplasia, bacteria are thought to be secondary pathogens, that can colonize the nasal mucosa because of reduced mucosal defense mechanisms [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
