A pilot study of the ewe vaginal microbiota in relation to fertility and pregnancy
The aim of this study was to compare the vaginal microbiota of pregnant and open sheep. Vaginal swabs were collected from the ewes prior to breeding (natural service), after pregnancy diagnosis, and in late gestation. The DNA was extracted from the swabs and the 16SrRNA gene was amplified and sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq platform to determine vaginal bacteria composition.