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de Oliveira Battisti L, Mongruel ACB, Fagundes-Moreira R, Baggio-Souza V, de Souza VK, de Amorim DB, Wagner PGC, Souza UA, Gonçalves AP, Girotto-Soares A, de Faria Valle S, André MR, Soares JF. Post-mortem detection of hemoplasmas (hemotropic Mycoplasma spp.) in South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) sampled in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 109:102187. [PMID: 38703540 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Hemotropic mycoplasmas are bacteria that attaches to erythrocytes surface, which some species presents zoonotic concerns. In the suborder Pinnipedia, genera Otaria and Arctocephalus are prominent in Brazil. This study investigated the occurrence of hemoplasmas in Arctocephalus sp. and Otaria flavescens found dead along the coast of a Southern Brazilian State. DNA from 135 spleen samples were extracted and subjected to conventional PCR protocols, targeting the 16 S rRNA and 23 S rRNA gene. Three (2.22 %) Arctocephalus australis were positive in the 16 S rRNA gene, and no samples amplified in the 23 S rRNA gene. Samples from this study clustered with Zalophus californianus and Arctocephalus tropicalis mycoplasmas on a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Genetic diversity analysis suggested distinct genotypes, indicating A. australis as a new host for hemoplasma, and also a potential putative novel hemoplasma genotype. These findings raises future awareness for pinnipeds conservation, and adds Mycoplasma spp. to be taken into consideration when clinically evaluating rescued animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano de Oliveira Battisti
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Renata Fagundes-Moreira
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Baggio-Souza
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Viviane Kelin de Souza
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Derek Blaese de Amorim
- Center for Coastal Studies, Limnology and Marine, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Tramandaí, 976, CEP 95625-000, Imbé, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo Guilherme C Wagner
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres, Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ugo A Souza
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Aline Girotto-Soares
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Stella de Faria Valle
- Laboratório de Análises Clínicas Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - João Fabio Soares
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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de Mello VVC, de Oliveira LB, Coelho TFSB, Lee DAB, Franco EO, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular survey of hemoplasmas and Coxiella burnetii in vampire bats from northern Brazil. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 106:102127. [PMID: 38277904 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
In addition to zoonotic viral pathogens, bats can also harbor bacterial pathogens, including hemoplasmas (hemotropic mycoplasmas) and Coxiella burnetii. The present study aimed to investigate, using molecular techniques, the presence of hemoplasmas and C. burnetii in spleen samples from vampire bats in northern Brazil. For this purpose, between 2017 and 2019, spleen samples were collected from Desmodus rotundus (n = 228) and Diaemus youngii (n = 1) captured in the states of Pará (n = 207), Amazonas (n = 1), Roraima (n = 18) and Amapá (n = 3). DNA samples extracted from the bat spleen and positive in PCR for the endogenous gapdh gene were subjected to conventional PCR assays for the 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA and RNAse P genes from hemoplasmas and to qPCR based on the IS1111 gene element for C. burnetii. All spleen samples from vampire bats were negative in the qPCR for C. burnetii. Hemoplasmas were detected in 10 % (23/229) of spleen samples using a PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene. Of these, 21.73 % (5/23) were positive for the 23S rRNA gene and none for the RNAseP gene. The seven hemoplasma 16S rRNA sequences obtained were closely related to sequences previously identified in vampire bats from Belize, Peru and Brazil. The 23S rRNA sequence obtained revealed genetic proximity to hemoplasmas from non-hematophagous bats from Brazil and Belize. The analysis revealed different circulating genotypes among Brazilian vampire bats, in addition to a trend towards genera-specific hemoplasma genotypes. The present study contributes to the knowledge of the wide diversity of hemoplasmas in vampire bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victória Valente Califre de Mello
- Postgraduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Laryssa Borges de Oliveira
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel Antonio Braga Lee
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliz Oliveira Franco
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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Volokhov DV, Lock LR, Dyer KE, DeAnglis IK, Andrews BR, Simonis MC, Stockmaier S, Carter GG, Downs CJ, Fenton MB, Simmons NB, Becker DJ. Expanded diversity of novel hemoplasmas in rare and undersampled Neotropical bats. One Health 2023; 17:100633. [PMID: 37920218 PMCID: PMC10618802 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemotropic mycoplasmas are emerging as a model system for studying bacterial pathogens in bats, but taxonomic coverage of sampled host species remains biased. We leveraged a long-term field study in Belize to uncover novel hemoplasma diversity in bats by analyzing 80 samples from 19 species, most of which are infrequently encountered. PCR targeting the partial 16S rRNA gene found 41% of bats positive for hemoplasmas. Phylogenetic analyses found two novel host shifts of hemoplasmas, four entirely new hemoplasma genotypes, and the first hemoplasma detections in four bat species. One of these novel hemoplasmas (from Neoeptesicus furinalis) shared 97.6% identity in the partial 16S rRNA gene to a human hemoplasma (Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis). Additional analysis of the partial 23S rRNA gene allowed us to also designate two novel hemoplasma species, in Myotis elegans and Phyllostomus discolor, with the proposed names Candidatus Mycoplasma haematomyotis sp. nov. and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematophyllostomi sp. nov., respectively. Our analyses show that additional hemoplasma diversity in bats can be uncovered by targeting rare or undersampled host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy V. Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Lauren R. Lock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Kristin E. Dyer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Isabella K. DeAnglis
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Benjamin R. Andrews
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Molly C. Simonis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Sebastian Stockmaier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Cynthia J. Downs
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - M. Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy B. Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel J. Becker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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Lourenço EC, Famadas KM, Gomes LAC, Bergallo HG. Ticks (Ixodida) associated with bats (Chiroptera): an updated list with new records for Brazil. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2335-2352. [PMID: 37597061 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07935-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Bats harbor diverse groups of ectoparasites, such as insects and mites like ticks (Ixodida). Some species of ticks with records for bats and humans have already been reported with the occurrence of pathogens. This research article aims to document new geographical and host records of ticks infesting bats in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil, and provides a list of tick species associated with bats in Brazil. We counted 12 argasid ticks and five ixodid ticks associated with six individuals of bats. Larvae of Amblyomma sp., Ixodes sp., Ornithodoros sp., and Ornithodoros hasei and one nymph of Amblyomma sculptum parasitizing Artibeus obscurus, Phyllostomus hastatus, Micronycteris sp., Molossus fluminensis, and Carollia perspicillata in different localities of Rio de Janeiro state were studied. We carried out a systematic review with the descriptors: tick bat Brazil. We considered data from 42 articles in the systematic review. We compiled eleven records of Ixodidae, and 160 records of Argasidae. Ornithodoros cavernicolous were the most recorded tick species. Overall, we registered 171 tick-bat or roost-bat associations with 85 records of these infesting bats. The review also shows the occurrence of tick species associated with bats, and we present new records on ticks parasitizing bats in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabete Captivo Lourenço
- Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Ecology Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
| | - Kátia Maria Famadas
- Hemoparasites and Vectors Laboratory, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Rio de Janeiro state, Seropédica, Brazil
| | - Luiz Antonio Costa Gomes
- Institutional Platform Biodiversity and Wildlife Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
| | - Helena Godoy Bergallo
- Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Ecology Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
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Braga MDSCO, Costa FB, Calchi AC, de Mello VVC, Mongruel ACB, Dias CM, Bassini-Silva R, Silva EMC, Pereira JG, Ribeiro LSDS, da Costa AP, de Andrade FHE, Silva ALA, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular detection and characterization of vector-borne agents in common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) from northeastern Brazil. Acta Trop 2023:106955. [PMID: 37236334 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Opossums are synanthropic marsupials able to interchange among wild, peri-urban and urban environments, playing an epidemiologically important role as hosts for emerging pathogens and ectoparasites of relevance in public health. The present study aimed to detect and molecularly characterize vector-borne agents in a population of common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) from the Island of São Luís do Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. Of the 45 animals analyzed, one (2.22%) was positive in the nested PCR assay based on the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasmids. The obtained sequence was phylogenetically positioned in a clade containing sequences of Babesia sp. previously detected in Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris and associated ticks from Brazil. Eight (17.77%) samples were positive in PCR for Ehrlichia spp. based on the dsb gene; four samples were sequenced and positioned into a new clade, sister to E. minasensis and Ehrlichia sp. clade detected in Superorder Xenarthra mammals. No samples tested positive in the screening PCR assays based on the 16S rRNA gene of Anaplasma spp. Two samples were positive in the qPCR for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene. Seven animals (15.56%) were positive in the nPCR based on the 16S rRNA gene of hemoplasmas. Of these, three were positive in a PCR based on the 23S rRNA gene. The phylogenies based on both 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes corroborated to each other and positioned the sequences in the same clade of hemoplasmas previously detected in D. aurita and D. albiventris sampled in Brazil. Finally, three (6.66%) animals were positive in the PCR for Hepatozoon spp.; the obtained 18S rRNA sequence was positioned into the H. felis clade.The present study showed, for the first time, the circulation of piroplasmids, Hepatozoon spp., Ehrlichia spp., hemoplasmas and Bartonella spp. in D. marsupialis sampled in northeastern Brazil, with description of putative novel genotypes of Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon and copositivity by different vector-borne agents. The present work consolidates the "South American Marsupialia" piroplasmid clade, adding one more genotype of Babesia sp. to this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Cláudia Calchi
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Victória Valente Califre de Mello
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Anna Claudia Baumel Mongruel
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Clara Morato Dias
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Bassini-Silva
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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de Mello VVC, Placa AJV, Lee DAB, Franco EO, Lima L, Teixeira MMG, Hemsley C, Titball RW, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular detection of blood-borne agents in vampire bats from Brazil, with the first molecular evidence of Neorickettsia sp. in Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata. Acta Trop 2023; 244:106945. [PMID: 37207993 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) represent the second largest group of mammals. Due to their ability to fly and adapt and colonize different niches, bats act as reservoirs of several potentially zoonotic pathogens. In this context, the present work aimed to investigate, using molecular techniques, the occurrence of blood-borne agents (Anaplasmataceae, Coxiella burnetii, hemoplasmas, hemosporidians and piroplasmids) in 198 vampire bats sampled in different regions of Brazil and belonging to the species Desmodus rotundus (n=159), Diphylla ecaudata (n=31) and Diaemus youngii (n=8). All vampire bats liver samples were negative in PCR assays for Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., piroplasmids, hemosporidians and Coxiella burnetii. However, Neorickettsia sp. was detected in liver samples of 1.51% (3/198) through nested PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene in D. rotundus and D. ecaudata. This is the first study to report Neorickettsia sp. in vampire bats. Hemoplasmas were detected in 6.06% (12/198) of the liver samples using a PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene. The two 16S rRNA sequences obtained from hemoplasmas were closely related to sequences previously identified in vampire and non-hematophagous bats from Belize, Peru and Brazil. The genotypic analysis identified a high diversity of bat-associated hemoplasma genotypes from different regions of the world, emphasizing the need for studies on this subject, in order to better understand the mechanisms of co-evolution between this group of bacteria and their vertebrate hosts. The role of neotropical bat-associated Neorickettsia sp. and bats from Brazilian in the biological cycle of such agent warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victória Valente Califre de Mello
- Postgraduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Julia Vidal Placa
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel Antonio Braga Lee
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliz Oliveira Franco
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Lima
- Laboratory of Trypanosomatids Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences II, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marta M G Teixeira
- Laboratory of Trypanosomatids Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences II, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia Hemsley
- Department of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Richard W Titball
- Department of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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7
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Szentivanyi T, McKee C, Jones G, Foster JT. Trends in Bacterial Pathogens of Bats: Global Distribution and Knowledge Gaps. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023; 2023:9285855. [PMID: 40303798 PMCID: PMC12017137 DOI: 10.1155/2023/9285855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2025]
Abstract
Bats have received considerable recent attention for infectious disease research because of their potential to host and transmit viruses, including Ebola, Hendra, Nipah, and multiple coronaviruses. These pathogens are occasionally transmitted from bats to wildlife, livestock, and to humans, directly or through other bridging (intermediate) hosts. Due to their public health relevance, zoonotic viruses are a primary focus of research attention. In contrast, other emerging pathogens of bats, such as bacteria, are vastly understudied despite their ubiquity and diversity. Here, we describe the currently known host ranges and geographic distributional patterns of potentially zoonotic bacterial genera in bats, using published presence-absence data of pathogen occurrence. We identify apparent gaps in our understanding of the distribution of these pathogens on a global scale. The most frequently detected bacterial genera in bats are Bartonella, Leptospira, and Mycoplasma. However, a wide variety of other potentially zoonotic bacterial genera are also occasionally found in bats, such as Anaplasma, Brucella, Borrelia, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Francisella, Neorickettsia, and Rickettsia. The bat families Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae, and Pteropodidae are most frequently reported as hosts of bacterial pathogens; however, the presence of at least one bacterial genus was confirmed in all 15 bat families tested. On a spatial scale, molecular diagnostics of samples from 58 countries and four overseas departments and island states (French Guiana, Mayotte, New Caledonia, and Réunion Island) reported testing for at least one bacterial pathogen in bats. We also identified geographical areas that have been mostly neglected during bacterial pathogen research in bats, such as the Afrotropical region and Southern Asia. Current knowledge on the distribution of potentially zoonotic bacterial genera in bats is strongly biased by research effort towards certain taxonomic groups and geographic regions. Identifying these biases can guide future surveillance efforts, contributing to a better understanding of the ecoepidemiology of zoonotic pathogens in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Szentivanyi
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Clifton McKee
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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Wang R, Li ZM, Peng QM, Gu XL, Zhou CM, Xiao X, Han HJ, Yu XJ. High prevalence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in bats and bat ectoparasites from China. One Health 2023; 16:100498. [PMID: 36844977 PMCID: PMC9947411 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemoplasmas can cause severe hemolytic anemia in humans. To explore the genetic diversity and the potential transmission routes of hemoplasmas among bat population, bats and bat-ectoparasites including bat-flies, bat-mites, and bat-ticks were collected in Eastern and Central China from 2015 to 2021, and tested with PCR for hemoplasmas 16S rRNA gene. Based on 16S rRNA PCR, 18.0% (103/572) adult bats were positive for hemoplasmas, but none of 11 fetuses from hemoplasmas-positive pregnant bats was positive for hemoplasmas. These results indicated that adult bats had a high prevalence of hemoplasma, but vertical transmission of hemoplasmas did not occurr in the bats. Based on the 16S rRNA gene PCR, the minimum infection rate of bat-ectoparasite for hemoplasmas was 4.0% (27/676), suggesting that bat-ectoparasite also had a high prevalence for hemoplasmas. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that bat hemoplasmas from this study clustered into 4 genotypes (I-IV). Genotype I clustered together with hemoplasmas identified in bats from America. Genotype II shared high similarity with a human-pathogenic hemoplasma Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis. Genotype III and IV were unique, representing 2 new hemoplasma genotypes. Only genotype I was identified in both bats and all bat-ectoparasites including bat-flies, bat-mites, and bat-ticks. In conclusion, bats and bat-ectoparasites from China harbored abundant genetically diverse hemoplasmas including potential human-pathogenic hemoplasmas, indicating bats and bat-ectoparasites may play important roles in the maintenance and transmission of hemoplasmas in the natural foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ze-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiu-Ming Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Lan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chuan-Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Institute of Epidemiology Research, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui-Ju Han
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong, Academy of Medical Sciences, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Xue-Jie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Corresponding authors.
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Alcantara DMC, Ikeda P, Souza CS, de Mello VVC, Torres JM, Lourenço EC, Bassini-Silva R, Herrera HM, Machado RZ, Barros-Battesti DM, Graciolli G, André MR. Multilayer Networks Assisting to Untangle Direct and Indirect Pathogen Transmission in Bats. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02108-3. [PMID: 36166070 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02108-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The importance of species that connect the different types of interactions is becoming increasingly recognized, and this role may be related to specific attributes of these species. Multilayer networks have two or more layers, which represent different types of interactions, for example, between different parasites and hosts that are nonetheless connected. The understanding of the ecological relationship between bats, ectoparasites, and vector-borne bacteria could shed some light on the complex transmission cycles of these pathogens. In this study, we investigated a multilayer network in Brazil formed by interactions between bat-bacteria, bat-ectoparasite, and ectoparasite-bacteria, and asked how these interactions overlap considering different groups and transmission modes. The multilayer network was composed of 31 nodes (12 bat species, 14 ectoparasite species, and five bacteria genera) and 334 links, distributed over three layers. The multilayer network has low modularity and shows a core-periphery organization, that is, composed of a few generalist species with many interactions and many specialist species participating in few interactions in the multilayer network. The three layers were needed to accurately describe the multilayer structure, while aggregation leads to loss of information. Our findings also demonstrated that the multilayer network is influenced by a specific set of species that can easily be connected to the behavior, life cycle, and type of existing interactions of these species. Four bat species (Artibeus lituratus, A. planirostris, Phyllostomus discolor, and Platyrrhinus lineatus), one ectoparasite species (Steatonyssus) and three bacteria genera (Ehrlichia, hemotropic Mycoplasma and Neorickettsia) are the most important species for the multilayer network structure. Finally, our study brings an ecological perspective under a multilayer network approach on the interactions between bats, ectoparasites, and pathogens. By using a multilayer approach (different types of interactions), it was possible to better understand these different ecological interactions and how they affect each other, advancing our knowledge on the role of bats and ectoparasites as potential pathogen vectors and reservoirs, as well as the modes of transmission of these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Priscila Ikeda
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Camila Silveira Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica Aplicada, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil
| | - Victória Valente Califre de Mello
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Jaire Marinho Torres
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Elizabete Captivo Lourenço
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Heitor Miraglia Herrera
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Setor de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, CEP: 14884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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10
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de Oliveira LB, Calchi AC, Vultão JG, Yogui DR, Kluyber D, Alves MH, Desbiez ALJ, de Santi M, Soares AG, Soares JF, Werther K, Teixeira MMG, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular investigation of hemotropic mycoplasmas and Coxiella burnetii in free-living Xenarthra mammals from Brazil, with evidence of new hemoplasma species. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e1877-e1891. [PMID: 35298081 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Although mammals of the superorder Xenarthra are considered hosts of a wide range of zoonotic agents, works aiming at investigating the role of these animals as hosts for bacteria with zoonotic potential are rare. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and molecularly characterize Coxiella burnetii and hemoplasma (hemotropic mycoplasmas) DNA in blood and spleen samples from 397 free-living Xenarthra mammals (233 sloths, 107 anteaters, and 57 armadillos) in five Brazilian states (Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Pará, Rondônia, and Rio Grande do Sul). All biological samples from Xenarthra were negative in the qPCR for Coxiella burnetii based on the IS1111 gene. The absence of C. burnetii DNA in blood and spleen samples from Xenarthra suggests that these mammals may not act as possible hosts for this agent in the locations studied. When performed conventional PCR assays for the endogenous (gapdh) mammalian gene, 386 samples were positive. When screened by molecular assays based on the 16S rRNA gene of hemoplasmas, 81 samples were positive, of which 15.54% (60/386) were positive by conventional PCR and 5.44% (21/386) were positive by real-time PCR; three samples were positive in both assays. Of these, 39.74% (31/78) were also positive for the 23S rRNA gene and 7.69% (6/78) for the hemoplasma RNAse P gene. Among the samples positive for hemoplasmas, 25.64% (20/78) were obtained from anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla and Myrmecophaga tridactyla), 39.74% (31/78) from sloths (Bradypus tridactylus, Bradypus sp. and Choloepus sp.) 34.61% (27/78) from armadillos (Priodontes maximus, Euphractus sexcinctus and Dasypus novemcinctus). A hemoplasma 16S rRNA sequence closely related and showing high identity (99.7%) to Mycoplasma wenyonii was detected, for the first time, in B. tridactylus. Based on the low identity and phylogenetic positioning of 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA sequences of hemoplasmas detected in anteaters and armadillos, the present study showed, for the first time, the occurrence of putative new Candidatus hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. ('Candidatus Mycoplasma haematotetradactyla' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematomaximus') in Xenarthra mammals from Brazil. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laryssa Borges de Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Calchi
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Débora Regina Yogui
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, MS, Brazil
| | - Danilo Kluyber
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, MS, Brazil.,Pesquisador associado do Naples Zoo at the Caribbean Gardens, Naples, USA
| | - Mário Henrique Alves
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Mariele de Santi
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline Girotto Soares
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - João Fabio Soares
- Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Karin Werther
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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Mongruel ACB, Medici EP, Canena ADC, Calchi AC, Machado RZ, André MR. Expanding the Universe of Hemoplasmas: Multi-Locus Sequencing Reveals Putative Novel Hemoplasmas in Lowland Tapirs ( Tapirus terrestris), the Largest Land Mammals in Brazil. Microorganisms 2022; 10:614. [PMID: 35336189 PMCID: PMC8950906 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest land mammal in Brazil and classified as a vulnerable species, according to the assessment of the risk of extinction. The present study aimed at investigating the occurrence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in free-ranging T. terrestris from the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. Blood samples were collected from 94 living and eight road-killed tapirs, totalizing 125 samples Conventional PCR targeting four different genes (16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, RNAse P, and dnaK) were performed, and the obtained sequences were submitted for phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses. The association between hemoplasma positivity and possible risk variables (age, gender, and origin) was assessed. Out of 122 analyzed samples, 41 (41/122; 33.61% CI: 25.84-42.38%) were positive in the 16S rRNA-based PCR assay for hemoplasmas. Positivity for hemoplasmas did not differ between tapirs' gender and age. Tapirs from Pantanal were 5.64 times more likely to present positive results for hemoplasmas when compared to tapirs sampled in Cerrado. BLASTn, phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses performed herein showed that the sampled lowland tapirs might be infected by two genetically distinct hemoplasmas, namely 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoterrestris' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematotapirus'. While the former was positioned into "Mycoplasma haemofelis group" and closely related to 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, the latter was positioned into "Mycoplasma suis group" and closely related to 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematobos'. The impact of both putative novel species on tapir health status should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Claudia Baumel Mongruel
- Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Theriogenology, and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.B.M.); (A.C.C.); (R.Z.M.)
| | - Emília Patrícia Medici
- Iniciativa Nacional para a Conservação da Anta Brasileira (INCAB), Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ), Campo Grande 79046-150, MS, Brazil; (E.P.M.); (A.d.C.C.)
- Escola Superior de Conservação Ambiental e Sustentabilidade (ESCAS/IPÊ), Nazaré Paulista 12960-000, SP, Brazil
- Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC), Campo Grande 79046-150, MS, Brazil
| | - Ariel da Costa Canena
- Iniciativa Nacional para a Conservação da Anta Brasileira (INCAB), Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ), Campo Grande 79046-150, MS, Brazil; (E.P.M.); (A.d.C.C.)
| | - Ana Cláudia Calchi
- Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Theriogenology, and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.B.M.); (A.C.C.); (R.Z.M.)
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Theriogenology, and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.B.M.); (A.C.C.); (R.Z.M.)
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Theriogenology, and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.B.M.); (A.C.C.); (R.Z.M.)
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