Comparative analysis based on shared amplicon sequence variants reveals that cohabitation influences gut microbiota sharing between humans and dogs

Abstract

Introduction: The One Health concept is a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between humans, animals, and the environment. The cohabitation of humans and dogs positively affects their physical, mental, and social well-being. It is recognized as an essential factor from the One Health perspective. Furthermore, a healthy balance in the gut microbiome is essential for good health, and the sharing of gut microbes between humans and dogs may positively impact the health of both hosts. Therefore, elucidating the sharing of gut bacteria between humans and dogs is important for understanding One Health. However, most studies have examined sharing at the taxonomic level, and it remains unclear whether the same bacteria are transferred between humans and dogs, and whether they mutually influence each other. Methods: Here, microbiome analysis and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence variant (ASV) analysis was performed to address this question. Results: 16S rRNA gene ASVs analysis indicated that gut microbes have been transferred between humans and dogs. The overall structure of the gut microbiota within human-dog pairs remained unchanged after three months of adaptation. However, some ASVs were shared within human-dog pairs. Many shared ASVs were highly abundant within each host, and this high abundance may be considered a factor that influences bacterial transfer between hosts. Discussion: Our results demonstrate the possibility of the direct transfer of gut bacteria between humans and dogs, providing an important insight for achieving good health through human-dog cohabitation.