Impact of Poultry House Environment on Bacterial Communities in Poultry Litter
Author Information
Author(s): Dumas Michael D., Polson Shawn W., Ritter Don, Ravel Jacques, Gelb Jack Jr, Morgan Robin, Wommack K. Eric
Primary Institution: University of Delaware
Hypothesis
How does the poultry house environment affect the composition of litter bacterial communities and their connection to gangrenous dermatitis outbreaks?
Conclusion
The poultry house environment significantly impacts the composition of litter bacterial communities, which may play a key role in the emergence of food-borne pathogens.
Supporting Evidence
- Wet litter contained greater bacterial diversity compared to dry litter.
- Unique bacterial taxa were found in houses with a history of gangrenous dermatitis.
- High-throughput sequencing revealed a more comprehensive view of poultry litter microbial communities.
Takeaway
This study looked at the bacteria in chicken litter and found that wet litter has more types of bacteria than dry litter, which could affect chicken health.
Methodology
High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene PCR products from poultry litter samples collected from four different poultry houses.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small number of poultry houses and may not represent all poultry environments.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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