Interactions between Haemonchus contortus and the gut microbiota of sheep

A study on the faecal microbiota of sheep before and after experimental infection with Haemochus contortus was conducted. The study revealed a correlation between faecal microbial community composition and parasite resistance/susceptibility. Before infection, significant difference in the community composition was observed in sheep that developed a high parasite burden relative to those had low burden of parasite. After infection, high parasite burden sheep had a greater change in their faecal microbial community structure than sheep with low-burden of infection. This study has furthered our knowledge on the gut microbiota of sheep, and paved the way for future works to investigate new control strategies to improve animal health.