ITS-based metabarcoding of broiler and layer chicken litter: Linking fungal diversity to environmental and One Health risks.

Dual-marker ITS sequencing reveals distinct fungal communities and clinically relevant genera in poultry farm environments, with ITS1 showing higher richness than ITS2.

• Why it matters: Understanding fungal diversity in poultry farms is crucial because these environments can serve as reservoirs for potential human pathogens, impacting One Health safety.
• What they did: Researchers analyzed samples from three poultry houses using high-throughput sequencing of ITS1 and ITS2 regions, applying diversity metrics, taxonomic assignment, and functional profiling.
• The result: The study found that marker choice affected diversity estimates, with pathogenic genera like Aspergillus, Trichosporon, and Microascus identified, emphasizing the importance of multi-marker approaches for accurate risk assessment.