Page 677 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition

VetBooks.ir Box 21.2

Probiotics

Probiotics are cultures of live bacteria that when given orally may
improve health by minimizing dysbiosis and its effects on the
animal body. Provided the dose of these bacteria is large enough,
the probiotics may change the composition of the microbiota at

least for a time and thus influence the functions of the immune
system. The results obtained depend not only on the dose of
microbes administered but also the specific strain or mixture of
organism(s). Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are usually favored for

probiotic use and appear to enhance immunity to diarrhea and
respiratory tract infections. They possibly act by outcompeting
pathogens. They may also reduce the severity of atopic disease. No
single microbe is likely to solve all gastrointestinal problems, so it

may be important to select the mixture of bacteria used with care.
A widely employed technique involves oral administration of
diluted feces or complex bacterial mixtures to outcompete
Salmonella in poultry and pigs. Fecal transplants have proven

successful in treating C. difficile infections in humans.

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