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

Na Zhao,Lin Chen,Shan Wang,Wenting Lyu,Hua Ding,Meng Li,Jing Luo,Shelan Liu,Supen Wang,Hongxuan He,Wen Su

doi:10.1038/srep39954

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 highlight that increases in intestinal inflammation and changes in the relative abundances of pathogen-containing gut communities occur when individuals become infected with CDV. These results may provide new insights into therapeutics that target the microbiota to attenuate the progression of CDV disease and to reduce the risk of gut-linked disease in individuals with CDV. In addition, our findings underscore the need for better information concerning the dynamics of infection and the damage caused by pathogens in panda populations.

Highlights

CDV status positive positive positive positive positive positive positive positive positive positive negative negative negative negative negative negative
We report on the CDV outbreak in giant pandas that occurred between December 2014 and March 2015 in Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Research Center, China[20,21]
To evaluate the role of CDV infection in shaping the gut microbiome, to determine how CDV affects the content and stability of the gut microbiome in pandas, and to understand the role and influence of CDV dynamics in this outbreak, we collected fecal samples from four individuals who were infected with CDV as well as from six healthy individuals and followed the gut bacterial community of two CDV-positive individuals (GP-603 and GP-754)

Summary

Introduction

We report on the CDV outbreak in giant pandas that occurred between December 2014 and March 2015 in Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Research Center, China[20,21]. In this outbreak, five giant pandas died due to CDV infection (22.7% mortality). Considering the potential relationship between viral infection and the gut microbiome[17,24,25] and the vital role that the immune system plays in regulating the gut microbiome[26,27], understanding how the composition of the microbiota changes as a result of CDV infection and the implications of these changes on the prevalence of disease-causing pathogens is vitally important. We were able to investigate alteration of the gut microbiome in individuals with or without CDV infection and to track the composition of the gut microbiota as the disease progressed in infected individuals

Methods

Results

Conclusion