Changes in gut microbiota composition associated with the presence of enteric protist Blastocystis in captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii)

Blastocystis is a common protistan parasite inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of a wide range of hosts including humans, domestic and wild animals. Many studies have revealed the associations between Blastocystis and gut microbiome in humans. However, only a few studies have focused on the associations between Blastocystis and gut microbiome of animals, especially in forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii). We investigated the effects of the Blastocystis colonization on the intestinal bacterial community compositions using amplicon sequencing targeting the V4 variable region of the 16S rRNA. Two subtypes of Blastocystis (ST5 and ST10) and Blastocystis-free (control) were included in this study.