Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, contagious, neurodegenerative prion disease affecting both free-ranging and captive cervid species. CWD is spread via direct or indirect contact or oral ingestion of prions. In the gastrointestinal tract, prions enter the body through microfold cells (M-cells), and the abundance of these cells can be influenced by the gut microbiota. To explore potential links between the gut microbiota and CWD, we collected fecal samples from farmed and free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) around the Midwest, USA. Farmed deer originated from farms that were depopulated due to CWD. Free-ranging deer were sampled during annual deer harvests. All farmed deer were tested for CWD via ELISA and IHC, and we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the gut microbiota. We report significant differences in gut microbiota by provenance (Farm 1, Farm 2, Free-ranging), sex, and CWD status. CWD-positive deer from Farm 1 and 2 had increased abundances of Akkermansia, Lachnospireacea UCG-010, and RF39 taxa. Overall, differences by provenance and sex appear to be driven by diet, while differences by CWD status may be linked to CWD pathogenesis.

慢性消耗性疾病 (CWD) 是一种致命的、传染性的、神经退行性朊病毒疾病，影响自由放养和圈养的鹿类物种。CWD 通过直接或间接接触或口服朊病毒传播。在胃肠道中，朊病毒通过微折叠细胞（M 细胞）进入人体，这些细胞的丰度会受到肠道微生物群的影响。为了探索肠道微生物群和 CWD 之间的潜在联系，我们收集了养殖和自由放养的白尾鹿 ( Odocoileus virginianus)的粪便样本) 美国中西部地区。养殖鹿起源于因 CWD 而人口减少的农场。在每年的鹿收获期间对自由放养的鹿进行采样。通过 ELISA 和 IHC 对所有养殖鹿进行 CWD 测试，我们使用 16S rRNA 基因测序来表征肠道微生物群。我们报告了肠道微生物群在来源（农场 1、农场 2、自由放养）、性别和 CWD 状态方面的显着差异。来自农场 1 和 2 的 CWD 阳性鹿增加了Akkermansia、Lachnospireacea UCG-010 和 RF39 类群的丰度。总体而言，出处和性别的差异似乎是由饮食驱动的，而 CWD 状态的差异可能与 CWD 的发病机制有关。