2022 journal article
Randomized placebo-controlled trial of feline-origin Enterococcus hirae probiotic effects on preventative health and fecal microbiota composition of fostered shelter kittens
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE, 9.
author keywords: 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing; diarrheal pathogens; growth and survival; infection; polymerase chain reaction; shelter medicine
TL;DR:
A rationale for use of E. hirae to foster kittens supports a rationale for disease prevention in this young population at high risk for intestinal disease though additional studies are warranted.
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www.frontiersin.org (publisher PDF)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
3. Good Health and Well-being
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: December 12, 2022
IntroductionDiarrhea is the second most common cause of mortality in shelter kittens. Studies examining prevention strategies in this population are lacking. Probiotics are of particular interest but studies in cats are largely limited to healthy adults or those with induced disease. Only one study in domestic cats describes the use of host-derived bacteria as a probiotic. We previously identified Enterococcus hirae as a dominant species colonizing the small intestinal mucosa in healthy shelter kittens. Oral administration of a probiotic formulation of kitten-origin E. hirae (strain 1002-2) mitigated the increase in intestinal permeability and fecal water loss resulting from experimental enteropathogenic E. coli infection in purpose-bred kittens. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that administration of kitten-origin E. hirae to weaned fostered shelter kittens could provide a measurable preventative health benefit.