Abstract
Pteropus poliocephalus (grey-headed flying foxes) are recognised vectors for a range of potentially fatal human pathogens. However, to date research has primarily focused on viral disease carriage, overlooking bacterial pathogens, which also represent a significant human disease risk. The current study applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, community analysis and a multi-tiered database OTU picking approach to identify faecal-derived zoonotic bacteria within two colonies of P. poliocephalus from Victoria, Australia. Our data show that sequences associated with Enterobacteriaceae (62.8% ± 24.7%), Pasteurellaceae (19.9% ± 25.7%) and Moraxellaceae (9.4% ± 11.8%) dominate flying fox faeces. Further colony specific differences in bacterial faecal colonisation patterns were also identified. In total, 34 potential pathogens, representing 15 genera, were identified. However, species level definition was only possible for Clostridium perfringens, which likely represents a low infectious risk due to the low proportion observed within the faeces and high infectious dose required for transmission. In contrast, sequences associated with other pathogenic species clusters such as Haemophilus haemolyticus-H. influenzae and Salmonella bongori-S. enterica, were present at high proportions in the faeces, and due to their relatively low infectious doses and modes of transmissions, represent a greater potential human disease risk. These analyses of the microbial community composition of Pteropus poliocephalus have significantly advanced our understanding of the potential bacterial disease risk associated with flying foxes and should direct future epidemiological and quantitative microbial risk assessments to further define the health risks presented by these animals.
Highlights
Bats are among the most species-rich mammals on earth and provide many essential ecological services including seed dispersion, pollination and arthropod suppression [1]
We have employed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to gain an overview of the community composition of P. poliocephalus faeces to identify putative human bacterial zoonotic pathogens
Our analyses identified a specific bacterial pathogen, and together with proportional recovery and faecal loading estimates, allowed us to estimate the risk presented by pathogenic-species clusters
Summary
Bats are among the most species-rich mammals on earth and provide many essential ecological services including seed dispersion, pollination and arthropod suppression [1]. Human pathogen carriage in Grey-headed flying foxes large aggregated colonies and, for some orders, adapt to and thrive under increasing urban pressures [2]. They are animals of key economic and environmental significance [3]. In this classification system, Megachiroptera comprise one family, Pteropodidae, encompassing all species of flying fox (collectively referred to as Pteropid bats) [4]. Recent taxonomic evaluation, based on genomic and transcriptomic information, has resulted in the re-classification of Pteropid bats within Yinpterochiroptera (or Pteropodiformes); which includes the taxa formerly known as megabats as well as some microbat taxa [5]
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