Unraveling the microbial diversity of bovine liver abscesses: isolation, identification, and genomic characterization of the <i>Bacteroides</i> found in hepatic lesions

Liver abscesses (LAs) are commonly found in cattle raised in feedlots and result from a bacterial infection of the liver. Not only are LAs a concern for animal health, but they also impact growth efficiency, animal welfare, and cost the North American beef industry upwards of $120 million per annum. Recently, it has been found that 25%-50% of liver abscess microbiomes have prominent levels of <i>Bacteroides</i>; however, to date, the biological relevance in LA pathogenesis and the identity of these bacteria are unknown. This research describes the isolation, identification, and genomic characterization of the <i>Bacteroides</i> found in bovine liver abscesses. These data provide a critical foundation for expanding our knowledge of the potential role <i>Bacteroides</i> play in liver abscess development and could contribute to the identification of novel targets for developing treatments to prevent this important production-limiting disease.