Swine Flu Alters Pig Lung Microbiota,Research Shows

The BacRESPI Group (of Swine Respiratory Pathogens) at the University of León (ULE),led by César B. Gutiérrez Martín, has collaborated with national and international teams on research spearheaded by Stanislao Nistal Villán of the Virology and Innate Immunity Group at the University of San Pablo-CEU in Madrid. This research demonstrates that influenza virus infection in pigs causes important changes in their pulmonary microbiota.

Pigs are a crucial reservoir and “genetic mixer” for influenza viruses with pandemic potential, as seen in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. However, until now, the direct impact of swine flu on the pig’s lung bacterial ecosystem (microbiota) remained largely unknown. Understanding these changes is vital for preventing secondary respiratory diseases in pigs.

The research, recently published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology’, utilized pulmonary samples from pigs across various Spanish regions. Employing third-generation nanopore 16s sequencing technology, the study provides a rapid and practical method for detecting shifts in the swine respiratory microbiota. It also confirms the presence of opportunistic bacterial pathogens that emerge as secondary infections following the primary viral infection, possibly worsening the disease and hindering animal recovery.