Abstract Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) continues to pose significant challenges to swine health and productivity. The objective of this study was to characterize nasal microbial communities of weaning pigs and identify bacterial markers associated with PRRSV-infection. Nasal swabs were collected from weaning pigs (approximately 21 days old) across five farms in the Midwest region, including two PRRSV-negative (Farm 1 P = 0. 006). Beta diversity differed significantly between PRRSV infection status (P = 0. 001). Among the top 15 genera, PRRSV-negative pigs were associated to Streptococcus, Glaesserella, Segatella, Filobacterium, Megasphaera, PrevotellaceaeIncertaeSedis, Faecalibacterium, Anaerovibrio, and Agathobacter. In contrast, PRRSV-positive pigs associated with Mesomycoplasma, Clostridium, Trueperella, Bacteroides, Pasteurella, and Terrisporobacter (LDA score ≥ 3. 7; P ≤ 0. 01). These results indicate distinct microbial shifts with PRRSV infection and suggest bacterial markers for the disease status. Understanding these microbial changes may provide insights into the potential strategies for secondary bacterial management and PPRSV mitigation.
Tran et al. (Wed,) studied this question.