Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using metagenomic sequencing

Gastrointestinal disease is a leading cause of morbidity in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under managed care. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) holds promise as a therapeutic tool to restore gut microbiota without antibiotic use. This prospective clinical study aimed to develop a screening protocol for FMT donors to ensure safety, determine an effective FMT administration protocol for managed dolphins, and evaluate the FMT’s efficacy in four recipient dolphins. Comprehensive health monitoring was performed on donor and recipient dolphins. Fecal samples were collected before, during, and after FMT therapy. Screening of donor and recipient fecal samples was accomplished by in-house and reference lab diagnostic tests. Shotgun metagenomics was used for sequencing. Following FMT treatment, all four recipient communities experienced engraftment of novel microbial species from donor communities. Engraftment coincided with resolution of clinical signs and a sustained increase in alpha diversity. The donor screening protocol proved to be safe in this study and no adverse effects were observed in four recipient dolphins. Treatment coincided with improvement in clinical signs. FMT holds promise in dolphin medicine as a therapeutic tool to restore healthy gut microbiota without antibiotic use.