New Insights into Bacterial Communities in Cat Faeces Containing Roundworm Eggs

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and parasites cause disease and ill health in domestic pets, including cats. However, few studies have examined the composition of the bacterial community in cat faeces containing helminth eggs. To bridge this knowledge gap, study aimed to investigate bacterial microbiota in cat faeces containing nematode eggs. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Bacterial analysis was performed on cat faeces targeting the V3-V4 region of 16S rDNA using next-generation sequencing technology. Samples of cat faeces that contained roundworm eggs were pooled as Group 1, whereas faeces without roundworm eggs placed in Group 2. Results were analysed using R (v3.3.1), SPSS (Chicago, IL, USA) and LEfSe (v1.0) for visualization, statistical testing and differential taxa abundance analysis, respectively (p<0.05). <b>Results:</b> Groups 1 and 2 shared 306 OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units). In different OTUs, Group 1 contained 324 and Group 2 was 185 OTUs. At the phylum level, Bacteroidota dominated the community composition of Groups 1 and 2. Firmicutes were abundant in both groups. Campylobacterota were more abundant in Group 1 than in Group 2. However, Fusobacteriota was more predominant in Group 2 than in Group 1. At the genus level, <i>Helicobacter</i> was higher in Group 1 than in Group 2. In contrast, <i>Bacteroides</i>, <i>Fusobacterium</i> and <i>Collinsella</i> were more abundant in Group 2 than in Group 1. <b>Conclusion:</b> These results provide the first evidence of the bacterial community and bacterial core in cat faeces containing roundworm eggs.