Dynamic changes of gut fungal community in horse at different health states.
Authors: Lan Yanfang, Li Yaonan, Yu Gang, Zhang Zhengyi, Irshad Irfan
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
Gastrointestinal dysbiosis has been implicated in equine diarrhoea, yet the specific role of fungal communities in this condition remains poorly understood. Researchers used amplicon sequencing to profile fungal composition in the faeces of healthy and diarrheic horses, examining both alpha and beta diversity metrics alongside taxonomic classification. Diarrheic horses exhibited significantly reduced fungal diversity and marked shifts in community structure, with all major fungal phyla (Neocallimastigomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota) decreasing in relative abundance; notably, 171 of 175 differentially abundant fungal genera declined during diarrhoea, including 74 genera that disappeared entirely from the intestinal ecosystem. Whilst this inaugural comparative analysis of equine gut mycology provides valuable baseline data, the findings suggest that fungal dysbiosis may serve as a useful indicator of gastrointestinal health status and warrant further investigation into whether fungal community restoration could support therapeutic management of diarrheic cases. Practitioners should consider that gut fungal composition may reflect broader dysbiotic processes and that multimodal approaches targeting microbial restoration, rather than single-organism interventions, may better address the complex ecology underlying equine intestinal disease.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Gut fungal dysbiosis is a significant marker of diarrhea in horses; monitoring fungal community composition may help identify disease states early
- •The dramatic reduction and loss of fungal diversity during diarrhea suggests that restoring fungal community diversity could be a therapeutic target for managing equine diarrhea
- •Understanding the specific fungi that disappear during diarrhea may lead to targeted probiotic or prebiotic interventions to prevent or treat the condition
Key Findings
- •Alpha and beta diversity of gut fungal communities decreased significantly in diarrheic horses compared to healthy horses
- •171 of 175 differential fungal genera decreased during diarrhea, with 74 genera completely disappearing from the intestine
- •Main fungal phyla (Neocallimastigomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota) remained present in both groups but with altered relative abundances
- •All identified differential fungal phyla showed decreasing trends during diarrheal episodes