Bartonellae are Prevalent and Diverse in Costa Rican Bats and Bat Flies

Species in the bacterial genus, Bartonella, can cause disease in both humans and animals. Previous reports of Bartonella in bats and ectoparasitic bat flies suggest that bats could serve as mammalian hosts and bat flies as arthropod vectors. We compared the prevalence and genetic similarity of barto...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zoonoses and public health 2015-12, Vol.62 (8), p.609-617
Main Authors: Judson, S. D., Frank, H. K., Hadly, E. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
arthropod vectors
bacteria
Bartonella - classification
Bartonella - genetics
Bartonella - isolation & purification
Bartonella Infections - epidemiology
Bartonella Infections - microbiology
Bartonella Infections - veterinary
Bats
blood-borne pathogens
Chiroptera
Chiroptera - microbiology
Costa Rica - epidemiology
Diptera - microbiology
Genetic Variation
Insects
Mammals
parasites
Phylogeny
Zoonoses
zoonosis
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Summary:Species in the bacterial genus, Bartonella, can cause disease in both humans and animals. Previous reports of Bartonella in bats and ectoparasitic bat flies suggest that bats could serve as mammalian hosts and bat flies as arthropod vectors. We compared the prevalence and genetic similarity of bartonellae in individual Costa Rican bats and their bat flies using molecular and sequencing methods targeting the citrate synthase gene (gltA). Bartonellae were more prevalent in bat flies than in bats, and genetic variants were sometimes, but not always, shared between bats and their bat flies. The detected bartonellae genetic variants were diverse, and some were similar to species known to cause disease in humans and other mammals. The high prevalence and sharing of bartonellae in bat flies and bats support a role for bat flies as a potential vector for Bartonella, while the genetic diversity and similarity to known species suggest that bartonellae could spill over into humans and animals sharing the landscape.
ISSN:1863-1959
1863-2378
DOI:10.1111/zph.12188