Characteristics of the vaginal microbiome in cows with normal and pathological postpartum period

The work assesses the vaginal microbiocenosis in cattle with normal and pathological postpartum period. The material for the research was scrapings of the vaginal mucosa from heifers with 2-3 months of pregnancy (n=6), firstcalf heifers with physiological postpartum period (n=6) and with signs of endometritis (n=6). The microbiome was studied by real-time PCR using the Femoflor® 16 medical test system. It was found that the vaginal microbiocenosis of cattle before the first calving is characterized by a wide range of microorganisms with potential pathogenicity and are capable of initiating inflammatory processes in the reproductive organs. In the physiological conditions of the postpartum period, there is a significant decrease in both the total bacterial contamination (by 106.60; p≤0.05) and the quantitative content of individual representatives of the microbiome. In the case of endometritis, an increase in the number of most microorganisms that make up the biocenosis is noted (by 106.76). The concentration of streptococci, regardless of the postpartum period characteristics, is characterized by a lower indicator by 103.26 ... 103.38 (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the pregnancy period, but in case of inflammation of the genital tract it exceeds the level of healthy animals by 102.77 (p ≤ 0.001). Comparative analysis showed that in the absence of postpartum pathology of the uterus, a relative increase in the level of opportunistic species occurs in the vagina, which is associated with changes in the ratio between microorganisms diagnosed and not diagnosed by the test system. With endometritis, a more pronounced decrease in the amount of unidentifiable microbial DNA and an increase in the number of such representatives as Gardnerella vaginalis, Prevotella bivia and Porphyromonas spp., which have pathogenic potential and are capable of causing bacterial vaginitis, are observed.