Habitat fragmentation and haemoparasites in the common fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis (Phyllostomidae) in a tropical lowland forest in Panamá

• Published in: Parasitology 2009-09, Vol.136 (10), p.1133-1145
• Main Authors: COTTONTAIL, V. M., WELLINGHAUSEN, N., KALKO, E. K. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Artibeus jamaicensis; Biological and medical sciences; Blood - parasitology; Chiroptera - classification; Chiroptera - parasitology; Chiroptera - physiology; Conservation of Natural Resources; diversity; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Ecosystem; Environmental degradation; Filariasis - epidemiology; Filariasis - parasitology; Filariasis - veterinary; Filarioidea - genetics; Filarioidea - isolation & purification; Forestry; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Habitat fragmentation; Habitats; haemoparasites; Host-Parasite Interactions; Invertebrates; Litomosoides; Mammalia; Microscopy, Electron; multi-host parasite; Nematoda; Panama; Parasites; Phyllostomidae; Population Dynamics; Prevalence; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species diversity; Species richness; Trees; Tropical Climate; Tropical forests; Trypanosoma; Trypanosoma - genetics; Trypanosoma - isolation & purification; Trypanosomiasis - epidemiology; Trypanosomiasis - parasitology; Trypanosomiasis - veterinary; Vegetation cover; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
• ISSN: 0031-1820; 1469-8161
• DOI: 10.1017/S0031182009990485

Anthropogenic influence on ecosystems, such as habitat fragmentation, impacts species diversity and interactions. There is growing evidence that degradation of habitats favours disease and hence affects ecosystem health. The prevalence of haemoparasites in the Common Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) in a tropical lowland forest in Panamá was studied. We assessed the relation of haemoparasite to the general condition of the animals and tested for possible association of haemoparasite prevalence to habitat fragmentation, with special focus on trypanosomes. Overall, a total of 250 A. jamaicensis sampled from fragmented sites, here man-made, forested islands in Lake Gatùn, and sites in the adjacent, continuous forest in and around the Barro Colorado Nature Monument were examined. Using microscopy and DNA-sequencing 2 dominant types of haemoparasite infections, trypanosomes and Litomosoides (Nematoda) were identified. Trypanosome prevalence was significantly higher in bats from forest fragments, than in bats captured in continuous forest. We attribute this to the loss of species richness in forest fragments and specific characteristics of the fragments favouring trypanosome transmission, in particular changes in vegetation cover. Interestingly, the effect of habitat fragmentation on the prevalence of trypanosomes as multi-host parasites could not be observed in Litomosoides which probably has a higher host specificity and might be affected less by overall diversity loss.