Abstract
BackgroundThe role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world. Recent studies have identified bats as potential hosts of species from the proteobacteria phylum. In Brazil, however, the role of bats in the natural cycle of these agents is poorly investigated and generally neglected. In order to analyze the participation of bats in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Bartonella, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, we conducted a descriptive epidemiological study in three biogeographic regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.ResultsTissues of 119 bats captured in preserved areas in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Santa Catarina from 2014 to 2015 were submitted to molecular analysis using specific primers. Bartonella spp. was detected in 22 spleen samples (18.5%, 95% CI: 11.9–26.6), whose phylogenetic analysis revealed the generation of at least two independent clusters, suggesting that these may be new unique genotypes of Bartonella species. In addition, four samples (3.4%, 95% CI: 0.9–8.3) were positive for the htpAB gene of C. burnetii [spleen (2), liver (1) and heart (1)]. Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma and Ehrlichia were not identified. This is the first study reporting C. burnetii and Bartonella spp. infections in bats from the Atlantic Forest biome.ConclusionsThese findings shed light on potential host range for these bacteria, which are characterized as important zoonotic pathogens.
Highlights
The role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world
Considering the growing importance of bats as potential reservoirs and transmitters of different pathogens around the world as well as the paucity of investigations about the role of bats in the dissemination of proteobacteria pathogens, the present study provides information about the circulation of these zoonotic bacteria in bats captured in three Atlantic Forest localities in Brazil where notifications of Brazilian spotted fever, Q fever and bartonelosis have been reported
Study areas and sample collection The study was conducted in three Brazil’s Atlantic Forest localities: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Atlantic Forest Biological Station (EFMA; 22°56′22.9"S 43°24′ 12.2"W), Pedra Branca Massif, Jacarepaguá, which is a metropolitan area of the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ); city of Igrapiúna, southern region of Bahia (BA), which is within the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Pratigi (13° 50′43.3"S 39°16′17.0"W); Serra do Tabuleiro State Park (PEST; 27°44′30.8"S 48°48′26.7"W), which is located in the central-eastern region of Santa Catarina state (SC) in the metropolitan area of the city Florianópolis (Fig. 1)
Summary
The role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world. Bacteria transmitted by arthropods belonging to the genera Rickettsia, Bartonella, Coxiella, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma are pathogens of domestic and wild animals as well as humans These agents cause diseases that may be severe and have a widespread geographic distribution, such as bartonelosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, spotted fever, and Coxielosis/Q fever [1,2,3,4]. Studies have pointed to bats as hosts of these proteobacteria around the world [7,8,9,10,11] Their increasing diversity and apparent clade-specific association for Bartonella spp. Bats (order Chiroptera) occur in all continents except Antarctica [13] Among mammals, they are outnumbered only by rodents in species richness but surpass all other groups in dietary diversity, including fruit eaters, nectar feeders, insectivores, carnivores, blood feeders and omnivores. They are recognized for harboring viral infectious agents and, less recognizably, bacterial agents of public health importance [16,17,18]
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