Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources

Background: Canada’s transition toward alternative housing systems for laying hens may have an impact on bioaerosol content and concentrations in those environments. This project aimed to characterize the airborne bacterial diversity in six conventional hen houses, six enriched colonies and six avia...

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Main Authors: M.-W. St-Germain, M. Veillette, V. Létourneau, A.D. Larios Martínez, S. Godbout, M. Boulianne, C. Duchaine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Poultry Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125004596
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author M.-W. St-Germain
M. Veillette
V. Létourneau
A.D. Larios Martínez
S. Godbout
M. Boulianne
C. Duchaine
author_facet M.-W. St-Germain
M. Veillette
V. Létourneau
A.D. Larios Martínez
S. Godbout
M. Boulianne
C. Duchaine
author_sort M.-W. St-Germain
collection DOAJ
description Background: Canada’s transition toward alternative housing systems for laying hens may have an impact on bioaerosol content and concentrations in those environments. This project aimed to characterize the airborne bacterial diversity in six conventional hen houses, six enriched colonies and six aviaries. The bacterial diversity found in bioaerosols was also compared to the diversity found in feces or litter samples from each corresponding housing type to investigate similarities between possible bioaerosol sources and bioaerosols. Results: Specific richness (Sobs) and CHAO1 indexes were higher in air samples from conventional hen houses and enriched colonies, compared to their corresponding fecal or litter samples, which was not the case for aviaries samples. No significant differences were found between the Shannon and inverse Simpson (InvSimpson) indexes of air samples, compared to their corresponding fecal or litter samples. Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in all samples, followed by Actinobacteria. Dominant genera were Lactobacillus, unclassified Lanchnospiraceae, unclassified Actinomycetales, unclassified Clostridales and unclassified Ruminococcaceae. OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) were associated with hen microbiota and gut microbiota, and soil. Homogeneity of molecular variance analyses (HOMOVA) revealed significant differences between air samples from aviaries, compared to air samples from conventional and enriched cage houses. Significant differences were found between air and fecal or litter samples from conventional hen houses and enriched colonies, but not among aviary samples. Conclusions: Findings highlight the effects of housing types on airborne bacterial diversity, and similarities in bacterial diversity between air and fecal or litter samples from three types of husbandry. Most dominant OTUs were shared across all samples, but were different in proportions, which may account for the differences in alpha and beta diversities. The overlap in bacterial diversities between air and litter samples collected in aviaries brings out the contribution of litter to ambient bioaerosols.
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spelling doaj-art-cc2380d2d64d4d3a8a5f8aee8881ec432025-08-20T03:31:25ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-08-01104810521710.1016/j.psj.2025.105217Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sourcesM.-W. St-Germain0M. Veillette1V. Létourneau2A.D. Larios Martínez3S. Godbout4M. Boulianne5C. Duchaine6Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, CanadaCentre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Québec, CanadaCentre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Québec, CanadaResearch and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment (IRDA), Québec, CanadaResearch and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment (IRDA), Québec, CanadaDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; Chaire en recherche avicole de l'Université de Montréal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, CanadaDépartement de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Corresponding author at: 2725, Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Québec, G1V 4G5, Canada.; Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Québec, Canada; Canada Research Chair on Bioaerosols, Québec, CanadaBackground: Canada’s transition toward alternative housing systems for laying hens may have an impact on bioaerosol content and concentrations in those environments. This project aimed to characterize the airborne bacterial diversity in six conventional hen houses, six enriched colonies and six aviaries. The bacterial diversity found in bioaerosols was also compared to the diversity found in feces or litter samples from each corresponding housing type to investigate similarities between possible bioaerosol sources and bioaerosols. Results: Specific richness (Sobs) and CHAO1 indexes were higher in air samples from conventional hen houses and enriched colonies, compared to their corresponding fecal or litter samples, which was not the case for aviaries samples. No significant differences were found between the Shannon and inverse Simpson (InvSimpson) indexes of air samples, compared to their corresponding fecal or litter samples. Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in all samples, followed by Actinobacteria. Dominant genera were Lactobacillus, unclassified Lanchnospiraceae, unclassified Actinomycetales, unclassified Clostridales and unclassified Ruminococcaceae. OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) were associated with hen microbiota and gut microbiota, and soil. Homogeneity of molecular variance analyses (HOMOVA) revealed significant differences between air samples from aviaries, compared to air samples from conventional and enriched cage houses. Significant differences were found between air and fecal or litter samples from conventional hen houses and enriched colonies, but not among aviary samples. Conclusions: Findings highlight the effects of housing types on airborne bacterial diversity, and similarities in bacterial diversity between air and fecal or litter samples from three types of husbandry. Most dominant OTUs were shared across all samples, but were different in proportions, which may account for the differences in alpha and beta diversities. The overlap in bacterial diversities between air and litter samples collected in aviaries brings out the contribution of litter to ambient bioaerosols.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125004596laying hensalternative hen houses16 s rRNA genebacterial diversitybioaerosolsfeces
spellingShingle M.-W. St-Germain
M. Veillette
V. Létourneau
A.D. Larios Martínez
S. Godbout
M. Boulianne
C. Duchaine
Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
Poultry Science
laying hens
alternative hen houses
16 s rRNA gene
bacterial diversity
bioaerosols
feces
title Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
title_full Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
title_fullStr Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
title_full_unstemmed Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
title_short Characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses, enriched colonies and aviaries, and link between possible bioaerosol sources
title_sort characterization of airborne bacterial diversity in conventional hen houses enriched colonies and aviaries and link between possible bioaerosol sources
topic laying hens
alternative hen houses
16 s rRNA gene
bacterial diversity
bioaerosols
feces
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125004596
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