Geographically widespread and novel hemotropic mycoplasmas and bartonellae in Mexican free-tailed bats and sympatric North American bat species

Abstract

Bacterial pathogens remain poorly characterized in bats, especially in North America. We describe novel (and in some cases panmictic) hemoplasmas (12.9% positivity) and bartonellae (16.7% positivity) across three colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), a partially migratory species that can seasonally travel hundreds of kilometers. Molecular analyses identified three novel Candidatus hemoplasma species most similar to another novel Candidatus species in Neotropical molossid bats. We also detected novel hemoplasmas in sympatric cave myotis (Myotis velifer) and pallid bats (Antrozous pallidus), with sequences in the latter 96.5% related to C. Mycoplasma haemohominis. We identified eight Bartonella genotypes, including those in cave myotis, with 96.7% similarity to C. Bartonella mayotimonensis. We also detected Bartonella rochalimae in migratory Tadarida brasiliensis, representing the first report of this human pathogen in bats. The seasonality and diversity of these bacteria observed here suggest that additional longitudinal, genomic, and immunological studies in bats are warranted.

A paired analysis of mercury among non-invasive tissues to inform bat conservation monitoring

“…As part of a larger study of bat migration, immunity, and infection (Becker et al, 2024), we quantified Hg concentrations in Mexican free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis ) at the Selman Bat Cave in Woodward County, Freedom, Oklahoma, USA. T. brasiliensis , a common insectivorous bat across North America, migrates long-distances annually in spring and fall between northern and southern portions of their range (Wilkins, 1989).…”

“…In North America specifically, many bats are threatened by emerging infectious diseases, namely white-nose syndrome (Blehert et al, 2009; Lorch et al, 2011). Exposure to contaminants such as Hg can increase bat infection risk (Becker et al, 2021) and can shape population-level infection prevalence through diverse feedback loops (Becker et al, 2024; Cable et al, 2021).…”