Evaluation Of Faecal Preservation Methods On The Integrity Of Microbial Dna And Parasitic Load In Sheep

Abstract

Helminths are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of livestock animals. Heavy infections lead to economic losses by reducing livestock production and increasing human morbidity. Given the extensive coevolution and close coexistence of gut helminths and microbiota within hosts, interactions between these organisms are expected. For researchers conducting epidemiological or clinical studies to assess sheep welfare, it is essential to run multiple analyses on a single non-invasive faecal sample, which may be limited in quantity or difficult to obtain due to time or geographic constraints. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate present faecal biomarker-specific preservatives to identify the best one for preserving both microbial DNA and parasite eggs