Abstract
Respiratory infections in domestic animals are a major issue for veterinary and livestock industry. Pathogens in the respiratory tract share their habitat with a myriad of commensal microorganisms. Increasing evidence points towards a respiratory pathobiome concept, integrating the dysbiotic bacterial communities, the host and the environment in a new understanding of respiratory disease etiology. During the infection, the airway microbiota likely regulates and is regulated by pathogens through diverse mechanisms, thereby acting either as a gatekeeper that provides resistance to pathogen colonization or enhancing their prevalence and bacterial co-infectivity, which often results in disease exacerbation. Insight into the complex interplay taking place in the respiratory tract between the pathogens, microbiota, the host and its environment during infection in domestic animals is a research field in its infancy in which most studies are focused on infections from enteric pathogens and gut microbiota. However, its understanding may improve pathogen control and reduce the severity of microbial-related diseases, including those with zoonotic potential.
Highlights
Complex respiratory diseases are highly prevalent and can be life threatening in domestic animals in which a prompt diagnosis and targeted treatments are essential (Ericsson et al, 2016; Bond et al, 2017; Oladunni et al, 2019; Ericsson et al, 2020)
Consistent with results observed in pigs and cows, horses infected with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) had lower nasal bacterial richness, evenness and diversity than healthy horses, conjointly with higher abundance of Proteobacteria (Gomez et al, 2021)
Even if the mechanisms bridging gut microbiota with the alterations of respiratory disease outcome are still poorly understood in domestic animals, a growing body of research in swine supports that the crosstalk between the gut and airways microbiome
Summary
Complex respiratory diseases are highly prevalent and can be life threatening in domestic animals in which a prompt diagnosis and targeted treatments are essential (Ericsson et al, 2016; Bond et al, 2017; Oladunni et al, 2019; Ericsson et al, 2020). The URT microbiome of healthy horses is mainly dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes (Bond et al, 2017). The most common phyla colonizing the nasal cavity of healthy dogs are Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (Tress et al, 2017).
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