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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2020; 34(4); 1614-1621; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15778

Dysbiosis is not present in horses with fecal water syndrome when compared to controls in spring and autumn.

Abstract: Fecal water syndrome (FWS) is long-standing and common in horses, particularly in central Europe. No large epidemiological data sets exist, and the cause remains elusive. Dysbiosis could play a role in pathogenesis. Objective: To evaluate whether dysbiosis is present in horses with FWS when compared to stable-matched control horses in spring and autumn. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from horses with FWS (n = 16; 9 mares, 7 geldings) and controls (n = 15; 8 mares, 7 geldings). Methods: The bacterial microbiome of samples collected in spring and autumn of 2016 was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Differences in relative abundance of bacterial taxa, alpha diversity, and beta diversity indices were assessed between horses with FWS and controls based on season. Results: Differences in microbial community composition based on time point and health status were not observed on any taxonomic level. Limited differences were seen on linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis. No difference in alpha diversity indices was observed including richness, diversity based on health status, or time point. No effect of health status on microbial community membership structure was observed. Conclusions: Limited differences were found in the bacterial microbiota of horses with and without FWS, regardless of season. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of microbiota in the development of FWS.
© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2020-06-26 PubMed ID: 32588473PubMed Central: PMC7379055DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15778Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates whether an imbalance of gut bacteria, known as dysbiosis, is a factor in a horse’s development of Fecal Water Syndrome (FWS), a common issue for horses in central Europe. The study found no significant differences in the bacterial microbiome between horses diagnosed with FWS and control horses, indicating that dysbiosis is not a characteristic feature of FWS.

Methods

In this study, the researchers collected fecal samples from two groups of horses:

  • 16 with Fecal Water Syndrome (9 mares and 7 geldings)
  • 15 without the syndrome which acted as the control group (8 mares and 7 geldings)

These samples were collected in spring and autumn of 2016 with the aim to understand whether there were differences in the bacterial microbiome according to season.

The bacterial composition of these samples was then analyzed using high-throughput sequencing, a method that allows for the simultaneous sequencing of a large number of DNA. This approach provided the researchers with detailed information regarding the different types of bacteria present in the horses’ guts and their relative abundances.

The study used various indices to evaluate the bacterial diversity inside the horse’s gut, including alpha diversity indices such as richness and diversity. The alpha diversity provides insights into the diversity within a particular area or ecosystem, and can be used for comparing the diversities of different ecosystems (in this case, the gut microbiomes of horses).

The other index used was the beta diversity indices, which measures the diversity between different communities or ecosystems, allowing for a comparison between the horse groups’ microbiomes.

Results

The study found that there were no significant differences in the horses’ bacterial microbiomes in relation to their health status (whether they had FWS or not) or the time of year the samples were collected.

Even though there were limited differences identified through linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis (a statistical approach used to identify features that are significantly different between biological classes), the researchers found no effect of health status on the microbial community structure.

Conclusion

The research concluded that there were slight differences in the gut bacteria of horses with and without Fecal Water Syndrome. However, these differences were not substantial enough to indicate a dysbiosis or imbalance in the gut microbiome.

The study ends with the recommendation for further research to illuminate any potential role of the gut microbiota in the development of Fecal Water Syndrome. However, as per the study’s findings, dysbiosis does not appear to be a characteristic of FWS.

Cite This Article

APA
Schoster A, Weese JS, Gerber V, Nicole Graubner C. (2020). Dysbiosis is not present in horses with fecal water syndrome when compared to controls in spring and autumn. J Vet Intern Med, 34(4), 1614-1621. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15778

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 34
Issue: 4
Pages: 1614-1621

Researcher Affiliations

Schoster, Angelika
  • University of Zurich, Equine Department, Zurich, Switzerland.
Weese, J Scott
  • University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Gerber, Vinzenz
  • Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.
Nicole Graubner, Claudia
  • Equine Clinic - Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berne, Switzerland.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Diarrhea / etiology
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Diarrhea / veterinary
  • Dysbiosis / veterinary
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Seasons

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Chaucheyras-Durand F, Sacy A, Karges K, Apper E. Gastro-Intestinal Microbiota in Equines and Its Role in Health and Disease: The Black Box Opens. Microorganisms 2022 Dec 19;10(12).
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  2. Laustsen L, Edwards JE, Hermes GDA, Lúthersson N, van Doorn DA, Okrathok S, Kujawa TJ, Smidt H. Free Faecal Water: Analysis of Horse Faecal Microbiota and the Impact of Faecal Microbial Transplantation on Symptom Severity. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 23;11(10).
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  4. Porter MM, Davis DJ, McAdams ZL, Townsend KS, Martin LM, Wilhite C, Johnson PJ, Ericsson AC. Alterations in the Microbiome of Horses Affected with Fecal Water Syndrome. Vet Sci 2025 Jul 31;12(8).
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