The Microbial Community of the Respiratory Tract of Commercial Chickens and Turkeys

Abstract

Respiratory tract health critically affects the performance of commercial poultry. This report presents data on the microbial community in these organs from a comprehensive study of laying chickens and turkey breeders. The main objective was to characterize and compare the compositions of the respiratory system bacteria isolated from birds of different ages and geographical locations in Poland. Using samples from 28 turkey and 26 chicken flocks, the microbial community was determined by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. There was great variability between flocks. The diversity and abundance of upper respiratory tract (URT) bacteria was greater in chickens than in turkeys. At the phyla level, the URT of the chickens was heavily colonized by Proteobacteria, which represented 66.4% of the total microbiota, while in turkeys, this phylum constituted 42.6% of all bacteria. Firmicutes bacteria were more abundant in turkeys (43.2%) than in chickens (24.1%). The comparison of the respiratory tracts at the family and genus levels showed the diversity and abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASV) differing markedly between the species. Potentially pathogenic bacteria ASV were identified in the respiratory tract, which are not always associated with clinical signs, but may affect bird productivity and performance. The data obtained, including characterization of the bacterial composition found in the respiratory system, may be useful for developing effective interventions strategies to improve production performance and prevent and control disease in commercial laying chickens and turkeys.

Dietary supplementation of solubles from shredded, steam-exploded pine particles modifies gut length and cecum microbiota in cyclic heat-stressed broilers

“…This is consistent with the results of previous studies ( Saati‐Santamaría, et al, 2022 ). Rothia is a frequently detected genus, whereas Leptotrichia is dominant in chicken with low FCR ( Shah, et al, 2019 ; Kursa, et al, 2022 ). Subdoligranulum is a butyrate-producing genus with probiotic activity in chickens ( Polansky, et al, 2015 ).…”

Exploring the complexities of poultry respiratory microbiota: colonization, composition, and impact on health

“…The respiratory tract was traditionally thought to be sterile due to the limitations of traditional culture-based microbiology techniques [ 6 – 8 ]. However, the emergence of culture-independent methods like the next-generation sequencing technology have now provided proof that the avian respiratory tract plays host to a dynamic community of microorganisms, especially bacteria [ 5 , 9 , 10 ]. The resident microbiota of the respiratory tract plays several pathophysiological roles related to pathogen exclusion and enhancing immunocompetence [ 11 – 13 ].…”

“…While a few studies have provided baseline information on the poultry respiratory microbiota [ 9 , 13 ], it is important to synthesize available information into clear concepts to provide direction on the role of respiratory tract commensals and pathogens, as well as well as their relationships to health or disease outcomes in poultry. Accordingly, this review seeks to provide a comprehensive overview on poultry respiratory tract microbiota community structure, factors influencing the community structure, challenges faced in studying this microbiota, and its impact on host health and pathology.…”

Oleocanthal alleviated lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in chickens by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation

“…Innate immunity is the first line of defence against microbial infections ( Kursa et al, 2022 ). Bacterial pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality in poultry ( Dreyfuss and Ricard, 2005 ).…”

“…Studies have revealed that diseases caused by E. coli infections are a severe problem in poultry farming. E. coli is a resident bacterium in poultry and a Gram-negative bacterium whose lipopolysaccharide ( LPS ) in the cell wall membrane is the primary substance that stimulates the host immune response and causes multitissue damage ( Kim et al, 2020 ; Kursa et al, 2022 ).…”