Fuente: PubMed "microbial biotechnology" Int J Microbiol. 2026 Jul 29;2026:8738439. doi: 10.1155/ijm/8738439. eCollection 2026.ABSTRACTDogs and cats are the most commonly kept pets, and the popularity of different breeds of them continues to increase in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Pets naturally harbor a diverse gut microbiome that plays a significant role in digestion, immunity, and overall health. Although pets provide valuable companionship, their feces may occasionally harbor bacteria with zoonotic potential. However, little is known about the fecal microbial diversity and its zoonotic relevance in Bangladesh. This study investigated the diversity of pets' fecal microbiome using 16S rRNA metagenomics and explored the zoonotic bacterial taxa. Fecal samples were collected from 24 apparently healthy pets, including 12 dogs and 12 cats, from randomly selected households in Dhaka City. High-throughput sequencing revealed a diverse microbial community comprising 1,148 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) distributed across 20 phyla and 258 genera. Although cats showed slightly higher microbial richness and diversity, both species shared common bacterial phyla such as Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Relative abundance of bacterial taxa varied between pet species and among breeds rather than the presence of distinct microbial groups. Furthermore, Enterococcus cecorum, Schaalia canis, Campylobacter helveticus, and Sutterella wadsworthensis were the explored bacterial taxa with zoonotic relevance rather than a direct assessment of zoonotic risk; however, they were very low in number than the dominating bacteria. This study provides the first 16S rRNA-based metagenomic snapshot of the fecal microbiome of 24 urban pets in Bangladesh and highlights the need for routine microbial surveillance and public awareness about zoonoses.PMID:42534357 | PMC:PMC13420308 | DOI:10.1155/ijm/8738439