Bacterial and fungal aerosols in poultry facilities: PM2.5 metagenomics via single-molecule real-time sequencing

Microbial aerosol contamination is a common issue in poultry facilities, carrying potential health risks for poultry and feeders. Exploring the microbial community distribution and diversity within aerosols is crucial for effective mitigation strategies. Limited knowledge exists regarding the composition of bacterial and fungal aerosols, particularly concerning the presence of potential pathogenic microorganisms in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from various types of poultry houses. To fill this knowledge gap, twenty-seven PM2.5 samples were collected from five chicken houses and four duck houses, located in Shandong Province, China. Species-level diversity of bacterial and fungal components in PM2.5 samples was unveiled by advanced single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT) technology, based on the 16 S and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS) ribosomal genes, respectively.