First report of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in Tadarida brasiliensis bats (family Molossidae) and Eptesicus furinalis (family Vespertilionidae) of Argentina. New host species in this country?

Saraullo, Vanina; Löffler, Sylvia Grune; Pastorino, Florencia; Watanabe, Olivia; Alonso, Maria Laura; Hamer, Micaela; Moreira, Cecília Nunes; Martínez, María Julia; Martinez, Gustavo Agustin; Brihuega, Bibiana

doi:10.1016/j.ram.2020.09.007

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…among bats in other regions has also been reported (Esteves et al., 2022). However, in these studies other molecular targets besides 16S rRNA gene were used, such as LipL32 (Ulsenheimer et al., 2022), flaB (Saraullo et al., 2021), secY (Javati et al., 2022), rpoB (Bevans et al., 2020), and glmU (McCutchan et al., 2023). The importance of these molecular markers to study the genetic diversity of Leptospira spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity of P1/pathogenic Leptospira species hosted by bats worldwide

Matiz‐González,

Ballesteros‐Ballesteros,

Hernández

et al. 2024

Zoonoses and Public Health

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IntroductionBats are a diverse group of mammals that have unique features allowing them to act as reservoir hosts for several zoonotic pathogens such as Leptospira. Leptospires have been classified into pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic groups and more recently into clades P1, P2, S1, and S2, being all the most important pathogenic species related to leptospirosis included within the P1/pathogenic clade. Leptospira has been detected from bats in several regions worldwide; however, the diversity of leptospires harboured by bats is still unknown.AimThe aim of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity of Leptospira spp. harboured by bats worldwide.MethodsA systematic review was conducted on four databases to retrieve studies in which Leptospira was detected from bats. All studies were screened to retrieve all available Leptospira spp. 16S rRNA sequences from the GenBank database and data regarding their origin. Sequences obtained were compared with each other and reference sequences of Leptospira species and analysed through phylogenetic analysis.ResultsA total of 418 Leptospira spp. 16S rRNA sequences isolated from 55 bat species from 14 countries were retrieved from 15 selected manuscripts. From these, 417 sequences clustered within the P1/pathogenic group, and only one sequence clustered within the P2/intermediate group. Six major clades of P1/pathogenic Leptospira spp. were identified, three of them composed exclusively of sequences obtained from bats.ConclusionWe identified that bats harbour a great genetic diversity of Leptospira spp. that form part of the P1/pathogenic clade, some of which are closely related to leptospirosis‐associated species. This finding contributes to the knowledge of the diversity of leptospires hosted by bats worldwide and reinforces the role of bats as reservoirs of P1/pathogenic Leptospira spp.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity of P1/pathogenic Leptospira species hosted by bats worldwide

Matiz‐González,

Ballesteros‐Ballesteros,

Hernández

et al. 2024

Zoonoses and Public Health

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“…The bovine density was not relevant either to explain the seropositivity to Leptospira since these farms continue to be mostly extensive production and do not concentrate many animals per land area. For this reason, it is necessary to consider which wildlife species and niches are found in the area because they are also carriers of several serovars ( 33 , 34 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Leptospira spp. infection in a beef cattle area of Argentina

et al. 2023

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Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira that affect humans and animals. This disease is complex and non-eradicable in nature. Therefore, the understanding of it is epidemiology in different environments is crucial to implement prevention and control measures. The prevalence of Leptospira infection in beef cattle farms is affected by multiple environmental, management and individual factors. In this study, a cross-sectional serological survey was carried on to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira antibodies in beef cattle in Tandil and Ayacucho Departments (Buenos Aires Province) and to identify risk factors and spatial clusters associated with seropositivity. Using a probabilistic two-stage sampling, 25 farms and 15 animals per farm were selected. The Microagglutination Test was used to analize all serum samples. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Seventy-three out of 375 cows were seropositive, representing a positivity rate of 19.47% (95% CI: 10.51–28.42), with Sejroe and Pomona being the most reactive serogroups: 9.33% (95% CI: 6.26–12.41) and 8.27% (95% CI: 5.35–11.19), respectively. The prevalence in Ayacucho was 23.11% (95% CI: 10.05–36.17), and in Tandil, 14% (95% CI: 3.25–24.75). The animals from Ayacucho presented 2.01 (1.16–3.49) more chances of being positive compared with those from Tandil (p < 0.01). After the Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) with random effect of farm-level risk, the presence of lagoons (OR: 7.32, 95% CI: 1.68–31.8, p < 0.05) and undulating terrain (OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07–0.74, p < 0.05) were associated with bovine leptospirosis. Four spatial clusters with higher rates of seropositivity were detected. A new GLMM was performed with the significant variables detected in the first GLMM and a new variable, “being inside the spatial cluster,” being the only one that remained significant (OR: 9.58, 95% CI: 3.39–27.08, p < 0.0001). The animals inside the clusters belonged to farms with a greater presence of creeks (OR: 9.03, 95% CI: 3.37–24.18, p < 0.0001), higher accumulated rainfall (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1–1.01, p < 0.0001) and less undulating terrain (OR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.10–0.35, p < 0.0001). We conclude that Leptospira is seroprevalent in beef cattle in Tandil and Ayacucho Departments, especially in the latter, where the largest cattle farms are located. Prevalence of seropositivity animals was associated with selected environmental risk factors.

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“…Additionally, Neoromicia capensis can be infected by Rickettsia, a vectorborne pathogen (Dietrich et al 2017), while Plecotus auritus can host Bartonella (Goedbloed et al 1964, Gardner et al 1987. Lastly, Tadarida brasiliensis has been found to be infected by Bartonella, andRickettsia (D'Auria et al 2010, Cicuttin et al 2017), as well as environmentally transmitted pathogens such as Coxiella (Müller et al 2020), Leptospira (Mayer et al 2017, Saraullo et al 2021, and Mycoplasma (Newman et al 2018). Several of these (or closely related) pathogens have been found in domestic cats before; however, their origin in these hosts is often unknown (Álvarez-Fernández et al 2018, Dorsch et al 2020, Springer et al 2020, Salinas-Ramos et al 2021, Saengsawang et al 2022.…”

Section: Spillover Of Bat-associated Zoonotic Pathogens To Catsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cat–wildlife interactions and zoonotic disease risk: a call for more and better community science data

Szentivanyi,

Oedin,

Rocha

2023

Mammal Review

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Due to their close interaction with both wildlife and humans, free‐ranging domestic animals are well‐suited to act as conveyors of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, although cats Felis catus are major predators of bats and other groups of zoonotic concern (e.g., rodents and birds), mounting evidence suggests that their role in the emergence of zoonotic diseases may be unappreciated. Here, we use bat–cat information extracted from the popular iNaturalist platform as a case in point to illustrate the potential of community science and social media to expand our understanding of pet‐wildlife interactions. Although observations of cats preying on bats were more prevalent in Europe and North America, evidence of such interactions was documented across different geographic regions, revealing a relatively high incidence of bat predation by cats and providing evidence of cat–bat interactions previously unreported in the scientific literature. The lack of surveillance focused on cats and other pets as bridging hosts for zoonotic spillover events is concerning, considering the recognised risks they pose. Community science is a relatively untapped source of information for pet‐wildlife interactions of zoonotic relevance. It is crucial that we gain a better understanding of the interaction between free‐ranging pets and wildlife to better understand their potential contribution to past and future disease outbreaks. Failing to do so not only jeopardises human health but also puts pets at risk.

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First report of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in Tadarida brasiliensis bats (family Molossidae) and Eptesicus furinalis (family Vespertilionidae) of Argentina. New host species in this country?

Cited by 5 publications

References 25 publications

Genetic diversity of P1/pathogenic Leptospira species hosted by bats worldwide

Genetic diversity of P1/pathogenic Leptospira species hosted by bats worldwide

Epidemiology of Leptospira spp. infection in a beef cattle area of Argentina

Cat–wildlife interactions and zoonotic disease risk: a call for more and better community science data

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