Topic: Gut Microbiome-Host Interactions in Livestock Health and Disease

The gut microbiome plays a central role in shaping intestinal physiology, immune function, metabolism, and overall health in livestock animals. Complex interactions between gut microorganisms and their hosts influence microbial community stability, nutrient utilization, intestinal barrier function, and responses to environmental and nutritional challenges. Disruptions in these interactions have also been associated with enteric diseases and other health disorders, highlighting the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying microbiome–host communication in livestock. With growing interest in reducing antibiotic use and improving animal health and production efficiency, microbiome-based approaches are attracting increasing attention in livestock research. Advances in multi-omics technologies, microbial ecology, and functional studies are providing new opportunities to characterize the composition and activities of livestock gut microbiomes and to understand their roles in health, disease, and production performance.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, perspectives, commentaries, and other relevant contributions addressing the interactions between gut microbiomes and livestock hosts. We particularly welcome studies investigating intestinal health, enteric diseases, microbial functions, host responses, and microbiome-targeted strategies to improve livestock health and productivity. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

● Ecology, Diversity, and Dynamics of Livestock Gut Microbiomes;

● Microbial Functions, Metabolites, and Gut Microbiome Activity;

● Microbiome–Host Interactions and Intestinal Immune Function;

● Gut Microbiomes in Intestinal Health and Enteric Diseases;

● Microbiome Modulation and Microbiome-Based Strategies for Livestock Health;

● Diet–Microbiome Interactions, Nutrient Utilization, and Feed Efficiency.