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Liu XF, Karunarathna SC, Tibpromma S, Chethana KWT, Hyde KD, Elgorban AM, Suwannarach N, Kumla J, Mortimer PE, Hughes AC. Understanding the role of bats as fungal vectors in the environment. IMA Fungus 2024; 15:28. [PMID: 39232794 PMCID: PMC11373111 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-024-00161-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bats (Chiroptera), the second largest group of mammals, are known for their unique immune system and their ability to act as vectors for various zoonoses. Bats also act as important carriers of fungi, which include plant, animal, and human pathogens. Their roosting areas, foraging behaviors, and even migration routes make bats ideal vectors for fungi. We isolated 75 culturable fungal species from bats in Yunnan Province, China, with 36 species representing known pathogens of plants, animals, and humans, while 39 species are non-pathogenic fungi. Among these species, 77% (58 species) belonged to Ascomycota, 9% (seven species) belonged to Basidiomycota, and 13% (10 species) belonged to Mucoromycota. Even though several taxonomic studies on fungi associated with bats have been published, studies exploring the role of bats as fungal vectors are lacking. This study discusses the fungi host-specific traits and pathogenicity and the impact and ecological significance of bats as fungal vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Fu Liu
- Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655011, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Samantha Chandranath Karunarathna
- Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655011, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
- National Institute Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Kandy, Sri Lanka
| | - Saowaluck Tibpromma
- Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655011, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - K W Thilini Chethana
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Kevin D Hyde
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Abdallah M Elgorban
- Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research (CEBR), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nakarin Suwannarach
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Jaturong Kumla
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Peter E Mortimer
- Centre for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Soil Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa.
| | - Alice C Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, 999077, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
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Whiting-Fawcett F, Blomberg AS, Troitsky T, Meierhofer MB, Field KA, Puechmaille SJ, Lilley TM. A Palearctic view of a bat fungal disease. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14265. [PMID: 38616727 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The fungal infection causing white-nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts' responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Whiting-Fawcett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A S Blomberg
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - S J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Pikula J, Brichta J, Seidlova V, Piacek V, Zukal J. Higher antibody titres against Pseudogymnoascus destructans are associated with less white-nose syndrome skin lesions in Palearctic bats. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1269526. [PMID: 38143741 PMCID: PMC10739372 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1269526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Serological tests can be used to test whether an animal has been exposed to an infectious agent, and whether its immune system has recognized and produced antibodies against it. Paired samples taken several weeks apart then document an ongoing infection and/or seroconversion. Methods In the absence of a commercial kit, we developed an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the fungus-specific antibodies for Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the agent of white-nose syndrome in bats. Results and Discussion Samples collected from European Myotis myotis (n=35) and Asian Myotis dasycneme (n=11) in their hibernacula at the end of the hibernation period displayed 100% seroprevalence of antibodies against P. destructans, demonstrating a high rate of exposure. Our results showed that the higher the titre of antibodies against P. destructans, the lower the infection intensity, suggesting that a degree of protection is provided by this arm of adaptive immunity in Palearctic bats. Moreover, P. destructans infection appears to be a seasonally self-limiting disease of Palearctic bats showing seroconversion as the WNS skin lesions heal in the early post-hibernation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
- CEITEC: Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jiri Brichta
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Vladimir Piacek
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
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Nemcova M, Seidlova V, Zukal J, Dundarova H, Bednarikova S, Pikula J. Bat-derived cells use glucose as a cryoprotectant. J Therm Biol 2023; 115:103652. [PMID: 37451039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Evolution of heterothermy in environments with variable temperatures has allowed bats to survive food scarcity during seasonal climatic extremes by using torpor as a hibernation strategy. The controlled reduction of body temperature and metabolism through complex behavioural and physiological adaptations at organismal, organ, cellular and molecular levels includes the ability of tissues and cells to adapt to temperature alterations. Based on the prediction that cells of different tissues cultured in vitro would differ in their ability to withstand freezing and thawing of the medium, we determined the survival rate of bat-derived cells following exposure to -20 °C for 24 h in media with no cryoprotective agents or medium supplemented by glucose in concentration range 0-3333 mM. Cell survival rates were determined in relation to availability of glucose in the medium, organ origin, cell concentration and bat species. In general, increased glucose helped cells survive at sub-zero temperatures, though concentrations up to 80-fold higher than those found in chiropterans were needed. However, cells in glucose-free phosphate buffered saline also survived, suggesting that other mechanisms may be contributing to cell survival at low temperatures. Highest in vitro viability was observed in nervus olfactorius-derived cell cultures, with high survival rates and rapid re-growth under optimal conditions after exposure to -20 °C. Kidney cells from different bat species showed comparable overall survival rate patterns, though smaller chiropteran species appeared to utilise lower glucose levels as a cryoprotectant than larger species. Our in vitro data provide evidence that cells of heterothermic bats can survive sub-zero temperatures and that higher glucose levels in important tissues significantly improve hibernation survival at extremely low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Nemcova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Heliana Dundarova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sarka Bednarikova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
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Harazim M, Perrot J, Varet H, Bourhy H, Lannoy J, Pikula J, Seidlová V, Dacheux L, Martínková N. Transcriptomic responses of bat cells to European bat lyssavirus 1 infection under conditions simulating euthermia and hibernation. BMC Immunol 2023; 24:7. [PMID: 37085747 PMCID: PMC10120247 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-023-00542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coevolution between pathogens and their hosts decreases host morbidity and mortality. Bats host and can tolerate viruses which can be lethal to other vertebrate orders, including humans. Bat adaptations to infection include localized immune response, early pathogen sensing, high interferon expression without pathogen stimulation, and regulated inflammatory response. The immune reaction is costly, and bats suppress high-cost metabolism during torpor. In the temperate zone, bats hibernate in winter, utilizing a specific behavioural adaptation to survive detrimental environmental conditions and lack of energy resources. Hibernation torpor involves major physiological changes that pose an additional challenge to bat-pathogen coexistence. Here, we compared bat cellular reaction to viral challenge under conditions simulating hibernation, evaluating the changes between torpor and euthermia. RESULTS We infected the olfactory nerve-derived cell culture of Myotis myotis with an endemic bat pathogen, European bat lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1). After infection, the bat cells were cultivated at two different temperatures, 37 °C and 5 °C, to examine the cell response during conditions simulating euthermia and torpor, respectively. The mRNA isolated from the cells was sequenced and analysed for differential gene expression attributable to the temperature and/or infection treatment. In conditions simulating euthermia, infected bat cells produce an excess signalling by multitude of pathways involved in apoptosis and immune regulation influencing proliferation of regulatory cell types which can, in synergy with other produced cytokines, contribute to viral tolerance. We found no up- or down-regulated genes expressed in infected cells cultivated at conditions simulating torpor compared to non-infected cells cultivated under the same conditions. When studying the reaction of uninfected cells to the temperature treatment, bat cells show an increased production of heat shock proteins (HSPs) with chaperone activity, improving the bat's ability to repair molecular structures damaged due to the stress related to the temperature change. CONCLUSIONS The lack of bat cell reaction to infection in conditions simulating hibernation may contribute to the virus tolerance or persistence in bats. Together with the cell damage repair mechanisms induced in response to hibernation, the immune regulation may promote bats' ability to act as reservoirs of zoonotic viruses such as lyssaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Harazim
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60300, Brno, Czechia.
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137, Brno, Czechia.
| | - Juliette Perrot
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité Lyssavirus, Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Hervé Bourhy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité Lyssavirus, Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Julien Lannoy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité Lyssavirus, Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czechia
| | - Veronika Seidlová
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czechia
| | - Laurent Dacheux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité Lyssavirus, Epidemiology and Neuropathology Unit, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Natália Martínková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60300, Brno, Czechia
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137, Brno, Czechia
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Higher white-nose syndrome fungal isolate yields from UV-guided wing biopsies compared with skin swabs and optimal culture media. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:40. [PMID: 36759833 PMCID: PMC9912490 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND North American bat populations have suffered severe declines over the last decade due to the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus infection. The skin disease associated with this causative agent, known as white-nose syndrome (WNS), is specific to bats hibernating in temperate regions. As cultured fungal isolates are required for epidemiological and phylogeographical studies, the purpose of the present work was to compare the efficacy and reliability of different culture approaches based on either skin swabs or wing membrane tissue biopsies for obtaining viable fungal isolates of P. destructans. RESULTS In total, we collected and analysed 69 fungal and 65 bacterial skin swabs and 51 wing membrane tissue biopsies from three bat species in the Czech Republic, Poland and the Republic of Armenia. From these, we obtained 12 viable P. destructans culture isolates. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that the efficacy of cultures based on wing membrane biopsies were significantly higher. Cultivable samples tended to be based on collections from bats with lower body surface temperature and higher counts of UV-visualised lesions. While cultures based on both skin swabs and wing membrane tissue biopsies can be utilised for monitoring and surveillance of P. destructans in bat populations, wing membrane biopsies guided by UV light for skin lesions proved higher efficacy. Interactions between bacteria on the host's skin also appear to play an important role.
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Nemcova M, Seidlova V, Zukal J, Dundarova H, Zukalova K, Pikula J. Performance of bat-derived macrophages at different temperatures. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:978756. [PMID: 36157196 PMCID: PMC9500541 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.978756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterothermy, as a temperature-dependent physiological continuum, may affect host-pathogen interactions through modulation of immune responses. Here, we evaluated proliferation and functional performance of a macrophage cell line established from the greater mouse-eared (Myotis myotis) bat at 8, 17.5, and 37°C to simulate body temperatures during hibernation, daily torpor and euthermia. Macrophages were also frozen to -20°C and then examined for their ability to proliferate in the immediate post-thaw period. We show that bat macrophages can proliferate at lower temperatures, though their growth rate is significantly slower than at 37°C. The cells differed in their shape, size and ability to attach to the plate surface at both lower temperatures, being spheroidal and free in suspension at 8°C and epithelial-like, spindle-shaped and/or spheroidal at 17.5°C. While phagocytosis at temperatures of 8 and 17.5°C amounted to 85.8 and 83.1% of the activity observed at 37°C, respectively, full phagocytic activity was restored within minutes of translocation into a higher temperature. Bat-derived macrophages were also able to withstand temperatures of -20°C in a cryoprotectant-free cultivation medium and, in the immediate post-thaw period, became viable and were able to proliferate. Our in vitro data enhance understanding of macrophage biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Nemcova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Heliana Dundarova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Katerina Zukalova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
- CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
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Loeb SC, Winters EA. Changes in hibernating tricolored bat ( Perimyotis subflavus) roosting behavior in response to white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9045. [PMID: 35822112 PMCID: PMC9259850 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding animals' behavioral and physiological responses to pathogenic diseases is critical for management and conservation. One such disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), has greatly affected bat populations throughout eastern North America leading to significant population declines in several species. Although tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) populations have experienced significant declines, little research has been conducted on their responses to the disease, particularly in the southeastern United States. Our objective was to document changes in tricolored bat roost site use after the appearance of WNS in a hibernaculum in the southeastern U.S. and relate these to microsite temperatures, ambient conditions, and population trends. We censused a tricolored bat hibernaculum in northwestern South Carolina, USA, once each year between February 26 and March 2, 2014-2021, and recorded species, section of the tunnel, distance from the entrance, and wall temperature next to each bat. The number of tricolored bats in the hibernaculum dropped by 90.3% during the first 3 years after the arrival of WNS. However, numbers stabilized and slightly increased from 2018 to 2021. Prior to the arrival of WNS, 95.6% of tricolored bats roosted in the back portion of the tunnel that was the warmest. After the arrival of WNS, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of bats using the front, colder portions of the tunnel, particularly during the period of population stabilization and increase. Roost temperatures of bats were also positively associated with February external temperatures. Our results suggest that greater use of the colder sections of the tunnel by tricolored bats could have led to increased survival due to slower growth rates of the fungus that causes WNS in colder temperatures or decreased energetic costs associated with colder hibernation temperatures. Thus, management actions that provide cold hibernacula may be an option for long-term management of hibernacula, particularly in southern regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C. Loeb
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Eric A. Winters
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
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Blejwas KM, Pendleton GW, Kohan ML, Beard LO. The Milieu Souterrain Superficiel as hibernation habitat for bats: implications for white-nose syndrome. J Mammal 2021; 102:1110-1127. [PMID: 34393669 PMCID: PMC8357076 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that western populations of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in North America exhibit different hibernation behavior than their eastern counterparts. Understanding these differences is essential for assessing the risk white-nose syndrome (WNS) poses to western bat populations. We used acoustic monitoring and radiotelemetry to study the overwintering behavior of little brown bats near Juneau, Alaska during 2011-2014. Our objectives were to identify the structures they use for hibernation, measure the microclimates within those structures, and determine the timing of immergence and emergence and the length of the hibernation season. We radiotracked 10 little brown bats to underground hibernacula dispersed along two ridge systems. All hibernacula were ≤ 24.2 km from where the bats were captured. Eight bats hibernated in the "Milieu Souterrain Superficiel" (MSS), a network of air-filled underground voids between the rock fragments found in scree (talus) deposits. Two bats hibernated in holes in the soil beneath the root system of a tree or stump (rootball). At least two hibernacula in the MSS were reused in subsequent years. Average MSS and rootball temperatures were warmer and more stable than ambient temperature and were well below the optimal growth range of the fungus that causes WNS. Temperatures in the MSS dropped below freezing, but MSS temperatures increased with depth, indicating bats could avoid subfreezing temperatures by moving deeper into the MSS. Relative humidity (RH) approached 100% in the MSS and under rootballs and was more stable than ambient RH, which also was high, but dropped substantially during periods of extreme cold. Acoustic monitoring revealed that bats hibernated by late October and began emerging by the second week of April; estimates of minimum length of the hibernation season ranged from 156 to 190 days. The cold temperatures, dispersed nature of the hibernacula, and close proximity of hibernacula to summering areas may slow the spread and reduce the impacts of WNS on local populations of little brown bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Blejwas
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Grey W Pendleton
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Michael L Kohan
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Laura O Beard
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
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Garzoli L, Bozzetta E, Varello K, Cappelleri A, Patriarca E, Debernardi P, Riccucci M, Boggero A, Girometta C, Picco AM. White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Italy: A Preliminary Assessment of Its Occurrence in Bat Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:192. [PMID: 33803110 PMCID: PMC8000523 DOI: 10.3390/jof7030192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although no mass mortality has been recorded so far, the precise demographic effect of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on European bats still remains to be ascertained. Following the first isolation of P. destructans in Italy, further surveys were performed to assess the distribution of the fungus in NW Italy and its effects on bats. Data were collected from March 2019 to April 2020 at sites used for hibernation (six sites) and/or for reproduction (four sites) in Piedmont and Aosta Valley. A total of 138 bats, belonging to 10 species, were examined to identify clinical features possibly related to the fungal presence. Culture from swabs and the molecular identification of isolates confirmed the presence of P. destructans in bats from five sites, including two maternal roosts. Dermal fungal infiltration, the criterion to assess the presence of WNS, was observed in biopsies of bats belonging to Myotis blythii, M. daubentonii, M. emarginatus and M. myotis. This is the first report of the disease in Italy. The results suggest a greater susceptibility to the infection of the genus Myotis and particularly of M. emarginatus, possibly due to the long length of its hibernation period. Other fungal dermatophytes were also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Garzoli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.G.); (A.M.P.)
- S.Te.P. Stazione Teriologica Piemontese, 10022 Carmagnola, Italy; (E.P.); (P.D.)
- CNR-Water Research Institute (IRSA), 28922 Verbania, Italy;
| | - Elena Bozzetta
- Department of Specialised Diagnostic, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (E.B.); (K.V.)
| | - Katia Varello
- Department of Specialised Diagnostic, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (E.B.); (K.V.)
| | - Andrea Cappelleri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy;
- Mouse and Animal Pathology Laboratory (MAPLab), Fondazione UniMi, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Patriarca
- S.Te.P. Stazione Teriologica Piemontese, 10022 Carmagnola, Italy; (E.P.); (P.D.)
| | - Paolo Debernardi
- S.Te.P. Stazione Teriologica Piemontese, 10022 Carmagnola, Italy; (E.P.); (P.D.)
| | - Marco Riccucci
- Zoological Section «La Specola», Museum of Natural History of the University of Florence, 50125 Florence, Italy;
| | - Angela Boggero
- CNR-Water Research Institute (IRSA), 28922 Verbania, Italy;
| | - Carolina Girometta
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.G.); (A.M.P.)
| | - Anna Maria Picco
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.G.); (A.M.P.)
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Abstract
The recent introduction of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats) from Eurasia to North America has resulted in the collapse of North American bat populations and restructured species communities. The long evolutionary history between P. destructans and bats in Eurasia makes understanding host life history essential to uncovering the ecology of P. destructans. In this Review, we combine information on pathogen and host biology to understand the patterns of P. destructans spread, seasonal transmission ecology, the pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome and the cross-scale impact from individual hosts to ecosystems. Collectively, this research highlights how early pathogen detection and quantification of host impacts has accelerated the understanding of this newly emerging infectious disease.
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12
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Associating physiological functions with genomic variability in hibernating bats. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10096-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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13
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Seidlova V, Zukal J, Brichta J, Anisimov N, Apoznański G, Bandouchova H, Bartonička T, Berková H, Botvinkin AD, Heger T, Dundarova H, Kokurewicz T, Linhart P, Orlov OL, Piacek V, Presetnik P, Shumkina AP, Tiunov MP, Treml F, Pikula J. Active surveillance for antibodies confirms circulation of lyssaviruses in Palearctic bats. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:482. [PMID: 33302915 PMCID: PMC7731468 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02702-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palearctic bats host a diversity of lyssaviruses, though not the classical rabies virus (RABV). As surveillance for bat rabies over the Palearctic area covering Central and Eastern Europe and Siberian regions of Russia has been irregular, we lack data on geographic and seasonal patterns of the infection. RESULTS To address this, we undertook serological testing, using non-lethally sampled blood, on 1027 bats of 25 species in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Slovenia between 2014 and 2018. The indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected rabies virus anti-glycoprotein antibodies in 33 bats, giving an overall seroprevalence of 3.2%. Bat species exceeding the seroconversion threshold included Myotis blythii, Myotis gracilis, Myotis petax, Myotis myotis, Murina hilgendorfi, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Vespertilio murinus. While Myotis species (84.8%) and adult females (48.5%) dominated in seropositive bats, juveniles of both sexes showed no difference in seroprevalence. Higher numbers tested positive when sampled during the active season (10.5%), as compared with the hibernation period (0.9%). Bat rabies seroprevalence was significantly higher in natural habitats (4.0%) compared with synanthropic roosts (1.2%). Importantly, in 2018, we recorded 73.1% seroprevalence in a cave containing a M. blythii maternity colony in the Altai Krai of Russia. CONCLUSIONS Identification of such "hotspots" of non-RABV lyssavirus circulation not only provides important information for public health protection, it can also guide research activities aimed at more in-depth bat rabies studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Brichta
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nikolay Anisimov
- Land Use and Biodiversity, International Complex Research Laboratory for Study of Climate Change, Tyumen State University, Volodarckogo 6, 625003, Tyumen, Russia
| | - Grzegorz Apoznański
- Institute of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Palaeontology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Hana Bandouchova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Berková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander D Botvinkin
- Irkutsk State Medical University, Krasnogo Vosstania street 1, 664003, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Tomas Heger
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Heliana Dundarova
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Environment Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Tsar Osvoboditel 1, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Tomasz Kokurewicz
- Institute of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Palaeontology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Petr Linhart
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Oleg L Orlov
- Land Use and Biodiversity, International Complex Research Laboratory for Study of Climate Change, Tyumen State University, Volodarckogo 6, 625003, Tyumen, Russia
- Department of Biochemistry, Ural State Medical University, Repina 3, 620014, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir Piacek
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Primož Presetnik
- Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora, Antoličičeva 1, SI-2204 , Miklavž na Dravskem polju, Slovenia
| | - Alexandra P Shumkina
- Western Baikal protected areas, Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoe Pribaikalye", Baikalskaya st. 291B, 664050, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Tiunov
- Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr- t 100-letiya Vladivostoka 159, 690022, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Frantisek Treml
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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14
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Davy CM, Donaldson ME, Bandouchova H, Breit AM, Dorville NA, Dzal YA, Kovacova V, Kunkel EL, Martínková N, Norquay KJ, Paterson JE, Zukal J, Pikula J, Willis CK, Kyle CJ. Transcriptional host-pathogen responses of Pseudogymnoascus destructans and three species of bats with white-nose syndrome. Virulence 2020; 11:781-794. [PMID: 32552222 PMCID: PMC7549942 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1768018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how context (e.g., host species, environmental conditions) drives disease susceptibility is an essential goal of disease ecology. We hypothesized that in bat white-nose syndrome (WNS), species-specific host-pathogen interactions may partly explain varying disease outcomes among host species. We characterized bat and pathogen transcriptomes in paired samples of lesion-positive and lesion-negative wing tissue from bats infected with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in three parallel experiments. The first two experiments analyzed samples collected from the susceptible Nearctic Myotis lucifugus and the less-susceptible Nearctic Eptesicus fuscus, following experimental infection and hibernation in captivity under controlled conditions. The third experiment applied the same analyses to paired samples from infected, free-ranging Myotis myotis, a less susceptible, Palearctic species, following natural infection and hibernation (n = 8 sample pairs/species). Gene expression by P. destructans was similar among the three host species despite varying environmental conditions among the three experiments and was similar within each host species between saprophytic contexts (superficial growth on wings) and pathogenic contexts (growth in lesions on the same wings). In contrast, we observed qualitative variation in host response: M. lucifugus and M. myotis exhibited systemic responses to infection, while E. fuscus up-regulated a remarkably localized response. Our results suggest potential phylogenetic determinants of response to WNS and can inform further studies of context-dependent host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Davy
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | | | - Hana Bandouchova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ana M. Breit
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Nicole A.S. Dorville
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Yvonne A. Dzal
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Veronika Kovacova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Emma L. Kunkel
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Natália Martínková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kaleigh J.O. Norquay
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - James E. Paterson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Craig K.R. Willis
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensics Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
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15
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Martínková N, Baird SJE, Káňa V, Zima J. Bat population recoveries give insight into clustering strategies during hibernation. Front Zool 2020; 17:26. [PMID: 32884575 PMCID: PMC7465407 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behaviour during hibernation contributes to energy conservation in winter. Hibernating bats select roosts with respect to physiological and environmental stressors, available local microclimate and species-specific requirements. RESULTS We found that, in the period between 1977 and 2018, hibernating Myotis myotis and Rhinolophus hipposideros bats showed exponential population growth. The growth rates, corrected for local winter seasonal severity and winter duration, were equal to 10 and 13%, respectively. While R. hipposideros only utilised the thermally stable and, at survey time, warmer corridors in the hibernaculum, an increasing proportion of M. myotis roosted in the thermally stable corridors as their abundance increased. About 14% of all hibernating M. myotis displayed solitary roosting, irrespective of other covariates. Those bats that clustered together formed progressively larger clusters with increasing abundance, particularly in cold corridors. We found no statistically significant relationship for clustering behaviour or cluster size with winter severity or winter duration. CONCLUSIONS Abundance of hibernating bats is increasing in Central Europe. As the number of M. myotis bats increases, thermally unstable corridors become saturated with large clusters and the animals begin to roost deeper underground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Martínková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno, 60365 Czechia
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, 62500 Czechia
| | - Stuart J. E. Baird
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno, 60365 Czechia
| | | | - Jan Zima
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno, 60365 Czechia
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16
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Ogórek R, Kurczaba K, Cal M, Apoznański G, Kokurewicz T. A Culture-Based ID of Micromycetes on the Wing Membranes of Greater Mouse-Eared Bats ( Myotis myotis) from the "Nietoperek" Site (Poland). Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1337. [PMID: 32756314 PMCID: PMC7460332 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats play important functions in ecosystems and many of them are threatened with extinction. Thus, the monitoring of the health status and prevention of diseases seem to be important aspects of welfare and conservation of these mammals. The main goal of the study was the identification of culturable fungal species colonizing the wing membranes of female greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) during spring emergence from the "Nietoperek" underground hibernation site by the use of genetic and phenotypic analyses. The study site is situated in Western Poland (52°25' N, 15°32' E) and is ranked within the top 10 largest hibernation sites in the European Union. The number of hibernating bats in the winter exceeds 39,000 individuals of 12 species, with M. myotis being the most common one. The wing membranes of M. myotis were sampled using sterile swabs wetted in physiological saline (0.85% NaCl). Potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates were incubated in the dark at 8, 24 and 36 ± 1 °C for 3 up to 42 days. All fungi isolated from the surface of wing membranes were assigned to 17 distinct fungal isolates belonging to 17 fungal species. Penicillium chrysogenum was the most frequently isolated species. Some of these fungal species might have a pathogenic potential for bats and other mammals. However, taking into account habitat preferences and the life cycle of bats, it can be assumed that some fungi were accidentally obtained from the surface of vegetation during early spring activity. Moreover, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)-the causative agent of the White Nose Syndrome (WNS)-was not found during testing, despite it was found very often in M. myotis during previous studies in this same location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Ogórek
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland; (K.K.); (M.C.)
| | - Klaudia Kurczaba
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland; (K.K.); (M.C.)
| | - Magdalena Cal
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland; (K.K.); (M.C.)
| | - Grzegorz Apoznański
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Paleontology, Institute of Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska Street 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (G.A.); (T.K.)
| | - Tomasz Kokurewicz
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Paleontology, Institute of Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska Street 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (G.A.); (T.K.)
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17
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Pikula J, Heger T, Bandouchova H, Kovacova V, Nemcova M, Papezikova I, Piacek V, Zajíčková R, Zukal J. Phagocyte activity reflects mammalian homeo- and hetero-thermic physiological states. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:232. [PMID: 32631329 PMCID: PMC7339577 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02450-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergence of both viral zoonoses from bats and diseases that threaten bat populations has highlighted the necessity for greater insights into the functioning of the bat immune system. Particularly when considering hibernating temperate bat species, it is important to understand the seasonal dynamics associated with immune response. Body temperature is one of the factors that modulates immune functions and defence mechanisms against pathogenic agents in vertebrates. To better understand innate immunity mediated by phagocytes in bats, we measured respiratory burst and haematology and blood chemistry parameters in heterothermic greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) and noctules (Nyctalus noctula) and homeothermic laboratory mice (Mus musculus). RESULTS Bats displayed similar electrolyte levels and time-related parameters of phagocyte activity, but differed in blood profile parameters related to metabolism and red blood cell count. Greater mouse-eared bats differed from mice in all phagocyte activity parameters and had the lowest phagocytic activity overall, while noctules had the same quantitative phagocytic values as mice. Homeothermic mice were clustered separately in a high phagocyte activity group, while both heterothermic bat species were mixed in two lower phagocyte activity clusters. Stepwise regression identified glucose, white blood cell count, haemoglobin, total dissolved carbon dioxide and chloride variables as the best predictors of phagocyte activity. White blood cell counts, representing phagocyte numbers available for respiratory burst, were the best predictors of both time-related and quantitative parameters of phagocyte activity. Haemoglobin, as a proxy variable for oxygen available for uptake by phagocytes, was important for the onset of phagocytosis. CONCLUSIONS Our comparative data indicate that phagocyte activity reflects the physiological state and blood metabolic and cellular characteristics of homeothermic and heterothermic mammals. However, further studies elucidating trade-offs between immune defence, seasonal lifestyle physiology, hibernation behaviour, roosting ecology and geographic patterns of immunity of heterothermic bat species will be necessary. An improved understanding of bat immune responses will have positive ramifications for wildlife and conservation medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Tomas Heger
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Bandouchova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Kovacova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Nemcova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Papezikova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Piacek
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Renata Zajíčková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Zukal
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
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18
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First Isolation of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Fungal Causative Agent of White-Nose Disease, in Bats from Italy. Mycopathologia 2019; 184:637-644. [PMID: 31414314 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-019-00371-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
White-nose disease, caused by the dermatophyte Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is a devastating pathology that has caused a massive decline in the US bat populations. In Europe, this fungus and the related infection in bats have been recorded in several countries and for many bat species, although no mass mortality has been detected. This study reports for the first time the presence of P. destructans in Italy. The fungus was isolated in the Rio Martino cave, a site located in the Western Alps and included in the Natura 2000 network. Twenty bats, belonging to five different species, were analysed. The fungus was retrieved on eight individuals of Myotis emarginatus. The allied keratolytic species P. pannorum was observed on two other individuals, also belonging to M. emarginatus. Strains were isolated in pure culture and characterized morphologically. Results were validated through molecular analyses. Future work should be dedicated to understand the distribution and the effects of the two Pseudogymnoascus species on Italian bats.
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19
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Kramer AM, Teitelbaum CS, Griffin A, Drake JM. Multiscale model of regional population decline in little brown bats due to white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8639-8651. [PMID: 31410268 PMCID: PMC6686297 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The introduced fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans is causing decline of several species of bats in North America, with some even at risk of extinction or extirpation. The severity of the epidemic of white-nose syndrome caused by P. destructans has prompted investigation of the transmission and virulence of infection at multiple scales, but linking these scales is necessary to quantify the mechanisms of transmission and assess population-scale declines.We built a model connecting within-hibernaculum disease dynamics of little brown bats to regional-scale dispersal, reproduction, and disease spread, including multiple plausible mechanisms of transmission.We parameterized the model using the approach of plausible parameter sets, by comparing stochastic simulation results to statistical probes from empirical data on within-hibernaculum prevalence and survival, as well as among-hibernacula spread across a region.Our results are consistent with frequency-dependent transmission between bats, support an important role of environmental transmission, and show very little effect of dispersal among colonies on metapopulation survival.The results help identify the influential parameters and largest sources of uncertainty. The model also offers a generalizable method to assess hypotheses about hibernaculum-to-hibernaculum transmission and to identify gaps in knowledge about key processes, and could be expanded to include additional mechanisms or bat species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Kramer
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of South FloridaTampaFloridaUSA
| | | | - Ashton Griffin
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - John M. Drake
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for Ecology of Infectious DiseasesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
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20
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Martínková N, Škrabánek P, Pikula J. Modelling invasive pathogen load from non-destructive sampling data. J Theor Biol 2018; 464:98-103. [PMID: 30578799 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Where microbes colonizing skin surface may help maintain organism homeostasis, those that invade living skin layers cause disease. In bats, white-nose syndrome is a fungal skin infection that affects animals during hibernation and may lead to mortality in severe cases. Here, we inferred the amount of fungus that had invaded skin tissue of diseased animals. We used simulations to estimate the unobserved disease severity in a non-lethal wing punch biopsy and to relate the simulated pathology to the measured fungal load in paired biopsies. We found that a single white-nose syndrome skin lesion packed with spores and hyphae of the causative agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, contains 48.93 pg of the pathogen DNA, which amounts to about 1560 P destructans genomes in one skin lesion. Relating the information to the known UV fluorescence in Nearctic and Palearctic bats shows that Nearctic bats carry about 1.7 µg of fungal DNA per cm2, whereas Palearctic bats have 0.04 µg cm-2 of P. destructans DNA. With the information on the fungal load that had invaded the host skin, the researchers can now calculate disease severity as a function of invasive fungal growth using non-destructive UV light transillumination of each bat's wing membranes. Our results will enable and promote thorough disease severity assessment in protected bat species without the need for extensive animal and laboratory labor sacrifices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Martínková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Škrabánek
- Institute of Automation and Computer Science, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technická 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
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