Metagenomic Analysis of the Gut Microbiota of Wild Mice, a Newly Identified Reservoir of

, the most common etiologic agent of zoonotic gastroenteritis in humans, is present in many reservoirs including livestock animals, wildlife, soil, and water. Previously, we reported a novel strain SCJK02 (MLST ST-8388) from the gut of wild mice () using culture-dependent methods. However, due to fastidious growth conditions and the presence of viable but non-culturable spp., it is unclear whether is a reservoir. This study aimed to: 1) determine the distribution and proportion of spp. in the gut microbiota of wild mice using culture-independent methods and 2) investigate the gut microbiota of wild mice and the relationship of spp. with other gut microbes. The gut microbiota of 38 wild mice captured from perilla fields in Korea and without any clinical symptoms (18 and 20 ) were analyzed. Metagenomic analysis showed that 77.8% (14 of 18) of the captured harbored spp. (0.24-32.92%) in the gut metagenome, whereas none of the captured carried spp. in their guts. Notably, 75% (6 of 8) of determined to be -negative using culture-dependent methods showed a high proportion of through metagenome analysis. The results of metagenome analysis and the absence of clinical symptoms suggest that may be a component of the normal gut flora of wild . Furthermore, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed that was the most enriched genus in the gut microbiota of (LDA score, 5.37), whereas was the most enriched genus in (LDA score, -5.96). The differences in the presence of between the two species of wild mice may be attributed to the differential abundance of and in their respective gut microbiota. In conclusion, the results indicate that wild may serve as a potential reservoir. This study presents the first metagenomics analysis of the gut microbiota to explore its possible role as an environmental reservoir and provides a basis for future studies using culture-independent methods to determine the role of environmental reservoirs in transmission.