Bacterial and Viral Diversity of Didelphid Opossums from Brazil

AbstractMarsupials belonging to theDidelphis genus are widely distributed in the American Continent, andDidelphis albiventris andDidelphis aurita, are common in all of their areas of distribution in Brazil. Here we describe the bacterial and viral diversity of samples from opossums captured in three forest fragments in the State of S ão Paulo, Brazil. Microbiomes from the same body site were more similar across species and sampling sites while oral swabs presented higher bacterial diversity than rectal swabs. We also identified sequences related to bacterial species involved in zoonotic diseases. The detection of pathogens in s uch abundant mammal species warns for the possibility of emergence in other species.
Source: EcoHealth - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research