Potential Role of Captive Environments in Reshaping the Compositions of Pathogenic Gut Bacteria in Equus Species

Captive environments can have detrimental effects on the health of Equus species. However, due to the limitations of available databases, the types and abundance of pathogenic bacteria in Equus species remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore pathogenic gut bacteria in wild and captive Equus species. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a comprehensive multiple bacterial pathogen detection database, we compared the pathogenic gut bacterial profiles of three Equus species (Equus ferus przewalskii, E. hemionus, and E. kiang) across different captive and wild environments. The pheatmap revealed that the three Equus species living in different captive environments showed convergence in their pathogenic gut bacterial composition. Captive Equus species had significantly enriched zoonotic bacteria, whereas wild Equus species had significantly enriched animal pathogenic bacteria. These findings suggest that a captive environment may increase the risk of zoonotic bacterial transmission between Equus species and humans. We hope that this study can provide a reasonable scientific basis for the management and protection of captive Equus species.