Post-doctoral researcher AnimalBiome Oakland, California, United States
Abstract:
Background: Stool banks provide screened fecal material used in fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). There are limited published data available on how to select donors and how often to test them for parasites and pathogens. Hypothesis/
Objectives: We performed cohort analysis on cat and dog donors in a stool bank in order to determine patterns in donor longevity, reasons for attrition, ideal testing frequency, and whether this differed over time. Animals: We examined detailed records for 175 healthy cats and dogs who contributed to a stool bank in Northern California from 2018 through 2023.
Methods: Donor material was tested monthly for parasites, pathogens, and bacterial composition using Antech/Keyscreen, the IDEXX Diarrhea Panel, and full length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Reasons for donor attrition were recorded on a monthly basis.
Results: Average longevity of the 86 donors who started and left the program by December 2023 was 517 days. 89 donors remained active in the stool bank. The most common reasons for donor attrition were testing positive for Giardia, moving out of the area, poor owner compliance, antibiotic exposure, and bacterial dysbiosis. FeCoV, tapeworms, Cryptosporidium, and Campylobacter were also observed.
Conclusions: Stool banks require careful monitoring for parasites and pathogens in order to minimize the probability of transmission to compromised individuals.
