Bartonella Infection in Fruit Bats and Bat Flies, Bangladesh

Fagre, Anna C.; Islam, Ausraful; Reeves, Will K.; Kading, Rebekah C.; Plowright, Raina K.; Gurley, Emily S.; McKee, Clifton D.

doi:10.1007/s00248-023-02293-9

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This agrees with results from a captive colony of E. helvum in Ghana, wherein neonate bats were found to be initially uninfected with Bartonella and became infected when bat flies were present (McKee et al, 2021). It is important to note that sampling periods from this study were not all contemporaneous and density of flies in a population can also vary seasonally (Atobatele et al, 2023) Bangladesh found that Bartonella prevalence in bats increased over the nine month study period, which coincided with the rainy season, an influx of juvenile bats into the population, and an increase in the prevalence of bat flies (Fagre et al, 2023). The study by Fagre et al (2023) provides support for the hypothesis that bats become exposed to Bartonella relatively early in life following colonization by bat flies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…It is important to note that sampling periods from this study were not all contemporaneous and density of flies in a population can also vary seasonally (Atobatele et al, 2023) Bangladesh found that Bartonella prevalence in bats increased over the nine month study period, which coincided with the rainy season, an influx of juvenile bats into the population, and an increase in the prevalence of bat flies (Fagre et al, 2023). The study by Fagre et al (2023) provides support for the hypothesis that bats become exposed to Bartonella relatively early in life following colonization by bat flies. We suggest that more longitudinal studies of Bartonella infection in bats and bat flies be performed to understand how Bartonella and bat fly prevalence vary seasonally and over a bat's lifespan to further understand the transmission dynamics of this microparasite.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain

McKee,

Peel,

Hayman

et al. 2024

Parasitology

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Few studies have examined the genetic population structure of vector-borne microparasites in wildlife, making it unclear how much these systems can reveal about the movement of their associated hosts. This study examined the complex host-vector-microbe interactions in a system of bats, wingless ectoparasitic bat flies (Nycteribiidae), vector-borne microparasitic bacteria (Bartonella), and bacterial endosymbionts of flies (Enterobacterales) across an island chain in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. Limited population structure was found in bat flies and Enterobacterales symbionts compared to that of their hosts. Significant isolation by distance was observed in the dissimilarity of Bartonella communities detected in flies from sampled populations of Eidolon helvum bats. These patterns indicate that, while genetic dispersal of bats between islands is limited, some nonreproductive movements may lead to the dispersal of ectoparasites and associated microbes. This study deepens our knowledge of the phylogeography of African fruit bats, their ectoparasites, and associated bacteria. The results presented could inform models of pathogen transmission in these bat populations and increase our theoretical understanding of community ecology in host-microbe systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain

McKee,

Peel,

Hayman

et al. 2024

Parasitology

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“…The family of fruit bats, Pteropodidae Gray, 1821, is one of the richest bat groups concerning species diversity, broadly distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. Despite this, reports on the prevalence of Bartonella in these bats and their bat flies are available only from a few localities (Bai et al 2018 ; Kamani et al 2014 ; Dietrich et al 2016 ; Brook et al 2015 ; Wilkinson et al 2016 ; Qiu et al 2020 ; Fagre et al 2023 ). The Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy, 1810), ranks among fruit bats with extensive geographical distribution—it is the only fruit bat species occurring in two continents; it lives in most of Africa and southwestern Asia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bartonella in bat flies from the Egyptian fruit bat in the Middle East

Špitalská,

Ševčík,

Peresh

et al. 2024

Parasitol Res

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In the family of fruit bats, Pteropodidae Gray, 1821, as in the third most diverse group of bats (Chiroptera), the bacterium of the genus Bartonella was detected in several species as well as in a few species of their insect ectoparasites in some tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Old World. The Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy, 1810), is one of the most widespread fruit bats, occurring between South Africa, Senegal, and Pakistan. In this bat species, Candidatus Bartonella rousetti has been detected in three African populations in Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia. This fruit bat, however, also occurs in the Palaearctic, an area isolating the species geographically and phylogenetically from the Afrotropical part of its distribution range. We screened the blood-sucking bat flies (family Nycteribiidae) from R. aegyptiacus for the presence of the Bartonella bacteria. A rich material of bat fly Eucampsipoda aegyptia (Macquart, 1850), a monoxenous ectoparasite of the Egyptian fruit bats, was collected at 26 localities in seven countries (Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen) of the Middle East in 2007–2013. The DNA isolates from the bat flies were subjected to a three-marker (gltA, ssrA, and intergenic spacer region, ITS) multilocus sequence analysis. Based on the amplification of the fragment of ssrA gene by a real-time PCR, 65 E. aegyptia samples from 19 localities in all seven countries were positive for the bacteria. One to five Bartonella-positive individuals of E. aegyptia were collected per one individual of R. aegyptiacus. An analysis of the ITS and gltA genes indicated the presence of an uncultured Bartonella sp., belonging to the Cand. B. rousetti genogroup, identified from populations of the Egyptian fruit bat in Africa. These results support the hypothesis that Bartonella’s diversity corresponds to its host’s diversity (and phylogenetic structure). Specific lineages of pathogens are present in specific phylogenetic groups of bats.

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