# Analysis of the Primary Pathogenic Bacteria in Abscess Disease of Musk Deer Using Metagenomic Approaches

## TL;DR

This study identifies Fusobacterium and Trueperella as the main bacteria causing abscess disease in captive musk deer, which could help in early diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

The study identifies Fusobacterium and Trueperella as primary pathogens in musk deer abscess disease using metagenomic analysis.

## Key findings

- Microbial diversity was significantly lower in diseased musk deer compared to healthy ones.
- Fusobacterium and Trueperella were consistently found in both oral and pus samples of diseased deer.
- These bacteria could serve as early biomarkers for abscess disease detection in musk deer.

## Abstract

Captive forest musk deer are frequently afflicted by abscess disease, which is difficult to diagnose and treat in its early stages, often leading to high mortality rates. This study aimed to examine the differences in microbial communities between oral throat swabs and pus samples from musk deer, with the goal of enabling early detection and treatment of abscess disease through microbial profiling in the future. Samples were collected from three groups: oral throat swabs of healthy musk deer (HMO), oral throat swabs of diseased musk deer (AMO), and pus from abscesses (AMP). Metagenomic approaches and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to analyze and compare the microbial communities. The results revealed significant differences between the microbiota of healthy deer and diseased deer, while the microbial profiles of AMO and AMP were largely similar. Notably, Fusobacterium and Trueperella were detected in both AMO and AMP samples, suggesting that these bacteria are the primary pathogens responsible for abscess disease in forest musk deer. Based on these findings, we hope to develop a diagnostic throat swab test in the future that can detect early-stage abscess disease in musk deer, allowing for timely intervention and treatment.

Abscesses are among the diseases affecting the survival of captive musk deer and are difficult to identify in their early stages. In this study, metagenomic sequencing, 16S rRNA sequencing, and paraffin sectioning were used to analyze the microbiota in the abscess musk deer pus group (AMP), abscess musk deer oral group (AMO), and healthy musk deer oral group (HMO) to compare the differences in microbiota in musk deer. By detecting differences in the oral microbiota through throat swabs, we aimed to monitor the early onset of abscess disease to facilitate timely intervention and treatment. The results showed that the alpha diversity of HMO microbiota was significantly higher than that of the AMP and AMO samples. Beta diversity results indicated that there were significant differences in the bacterial communities of HMO and AMO samples, and no significant difference was found between AMO and AMP samples. A taxonomic analysis of the bacterial species indicated that differences between HMO and AMP groups were found in the Fusobacterium and Trueperella species. Fusobacterium and Trueperella were the main pathogenic bacteria responsible for the occurrence of abscess diseases in forest musk deer in this study. Furthermore, the appearance of Fusobacterium and Trueperella in the oral cavity can serve as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of abscess disease in musk deer.