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de Mello VVC, de Oliveira LB, Coelho TFSB, Lee DAB, Franco EO, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular survey of hemoplasmas and Coxiella burnetii in vampire bats from northern Brazil. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 106:102127. [PMID: 38277904 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
In addition to zoonotic viral pathogens, bats can also harbor bacterial pathogens, including hemoplasmas (hemotropic mycoplasmas) and Coxiella burnetii. The present study aimed to investigate, using molecular techniques, the presence of hemoplasmas and C. burnetii in spleen samples from vampire bats in northern Brazil. For this purpose, between 2017 and 2019, spleen samples were collected from Desmodus rotundus (n = 228) and Diaemus youngii (n = 1) captured in the states of Pará (n = 207), Amazonas (n = 1), Roraima (n = 18) and Amapá (n = 3). DNA samples extracted from the bat spleen and positive in PCR for the endogenous gapdh gene were subjected to conventional PCR assays for the 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA and RNAse P genes from hemoplasmas and to qPCR based on the IS1111 gene element for C. burnetii. All spleen samples from vampire bats were negative in the qPCR for C. burnetii. Hemoplasmas were detected in 10 % (23/229) of spleen samples using a PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene. Of these, 21.73 % (5/23) were positive for the 23S rRNA gene and none for the RNAseP gene. The seven hemoplasma 16S rRNA sequences obtained were closely related to sequences previously identified in vampire bats from Belize, Peru and Brazil. The 23S rRNA sequence obtained revealed genetic proximity to hemoplasmas from non-hematophagous bats from Brazil and Belize. The analysis revealed different circulating genotypes among Brazilian vampire bats, in addition to a trend towards genera-specific hemoplasma genotypes. The present study contributes to the knowledge of the wide diversity of hemoplasmas in vampire bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victória Valente Califre de Mello
- Postgraduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Laryssa Borges de Oliveira
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel Antonio Braga Lee
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliz Oliveira Franco
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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Becker DJ, Dyer KE, Lock LR, Pladas SA, Sukhadia AA, Demory B, Batista JMN, Pineda M, Simmons NB, Adams AM, Frick WF, O’Mara MT, Volokhov DV. Geographically widespread and novel hemotropic mycoplasmas and bartonellae in Mexican free-tailed bats and sympatric North American bat species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.08.577874. [PMID: 38370734 PMCID: PMC10871349 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.08.577874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Becker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Kristin E. Dyer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Lauren R. Lock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Shawn A. Pladas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA
| | | | - Bret Demory
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Juliana Maria Nunes Batista
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Micaela Pineda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA
| | - Nancy B. Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Winifred F. Frick
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - M. Teague O’Mara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Dmitriy V. Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Corduneanu A, Zając Z, Kulisz J, Wozniak A, Foucault-Simonin A, Moutailler S, Wu-Chuang A, Peter Á, Sándor AD, Cabezas-Cruz A. Detection of bacterial and protozoan pathogens in individual bats and their ectoparasites using high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0153123. [PMID: 37606379 PMCID: PMC10581248 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01531-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the most studied mammals in terms of their role in the spread of various pathogens with possible zoonotic effects are bats. These are animals with a very complex lifestyle, diet, and behavior. They are able to fly long distances, thus maintaining and spreading the pathogens they may be carrying. These pathogens also include vector-borne parasites and bacteria that can be spread by ectoparasites such as ticks and bat flies. In the present study, high-throughput screening was performed and we detected three bacterial pathogens: Bartonella spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Mycoplasma spp., and a protozoan parasite: Theileria spp. in paired samples from bats (blood and ectoparasites). In the samples from the bat-arthropod pairs, we were able to detect Bartonella spp. and Mycoplasma spp. which also showed a high phylogenetic diversity, demonstrating the importance of these mammals and the arthropods associated with them in maintaining the spread of pathogens. Previous studies have also reported the presence of these pathogens, with one exception, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, for which phylogenetic analysis revealed less genetic divergence. High-throughput screening can detect more bacteria and parasites at once, reduce screening costs, and improve knowledge of bats as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens. IMPORTANCE The increasing number of zoonotic pathogens is evident through extensive studies and expanded animal research. Bats, known for their role as reservoirs for various viruses, continue to be significant. However, new findings highlight the emergence of Bartonella spp., such as the human-infecting B. mayotimonensis from bats. Other pathogens like N. mikurensis, Mycoplasma spp., and Theileria spp. found in bat blood and ectoparasites raise concerns, as their impact remains uncertain. These discoveries underscore the urgency for heightened vigilance and proactive measures to understand and monitor zoonotic pathogens. By deepening our knowledge and collaboration, we can mitigate these risks, safeguarding human and animal well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Production, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zbigniew Zając
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Joanna Kulisz
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Wozniak
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Angélique Foucault-Simonin
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Áron Peter
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Corduneanu A, Wu-Chuang A, Maitre A, Obregon D, Sándor AD, Cabezas-Cruz A. Structural differences in the gut microbiome of bats using terrestrial vs. aquatic feeding resources. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:93. [PMID: 37005589 PMCID: PMC10067309 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02836-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bat gut microbiomes are adapted to the specific diets of their hosts. Despite diet variation has been associated with differences in bat microbiome diversity, the influence of diet on microbial community assembly have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we used available data on bat gut microbiome to characterize the microbial community assembly of five selected bat species (i.e., Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis capaccinii, Myotis myotis, Myotis pilosus, and Myotis vivesi), using network analysis. These bat species with contrasting habitat and food preferences (i.e., My. capaccinii and My. pilosus can be piscivorous and/or insectivorous; Mi. schreibersii and My. myotis are exclusively insectivorous; while My. vivesi is a marine predator) offer an invaluable opportunity to test the impact of diet on bat gut microbiome assembly. The results showed that My. myotis showed the most complex network, with the highest number of nodes, while My. vivesi has the least complex structured microbiome, with lowest number of nodes in its network. No common nodes were observed in the networks of the five bat species, with My. myotis possessing the highest number of unique nodes. Only three bat species, My. myotis, My. pilosus and My. vivesi, presented a core microbiome and the distribution of local centrality measures of nodes was different in the five networks. Taxa removal followed by measurement of network connectivity revealed that My. myotis had the most robust network, while the network of My. vivesi presented the lowest tolerance to taxa removal. Prediction of metabolic pathways using PICRUSt2 revealed that Mi. schreibersii had significantly higher functional pathway's richness compared to the other bat species. Most of predicted pathways (82%, total 435) were shared between all bat species, while My. capaccinii, My. myotis and My. vivesi, but no Mi. schreibersii or My. pilosus, showed specific pathways. We concluded that despite similar feeding habits, microbial community assembly can differ between bat species. Other factors beyond diet may play a major role in bat microbial community assembly, with host ecology, sociality and overlap in roosts likely providing additional predictors governing gut microbiome of insectivorous bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Production, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Apolline Maitre
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
- INRAE, UR 0045 Laboratoire de Recherches Sur Le Développement de L'Elevage (SELMET-LRDE), 20250, Corte, France
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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Wang R, Li ZM, Peng QM, Gu XL, Zhou CM, Xiao X, Han HJ, Yu XJ. High prevalence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in bats and bat ectoparasites from China. One Health 2023; 16:100498. [PMID: 36844977 PMCID: PMC9947411 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemoplasmas can cause severe hemolytic anemia in humans. To explore the genetic diversity and the potential transmission routes of hemoplasmas among bat population, bats and bat-ectoparasites including bat-flies, bat-mites, and bat-ticks were collected in Eastern and Central China from 2015 to 2021, and tested with PCR for hemoplasmas 16S rRNA gene. Based on 16S rRNA PCR, 18.0% (103/572) adult bats were positive for hemoplasmas, but none of 11 fetuses from hemoplasmas-positive pregnant bats was positive for hemoplasmas. These results indicated that adult bats had a high prevalence of hemoplasma, but vertical transmission of hemoplasmas did not occurr in the bats. Based on the 16S rRNA gene PCR, the minimum infection rate of bat-ectoparasite for hemoplasmas was 4.0% (27/676), suggesting that bat-ectoparasite also had a high prevalence for hemoplasmas. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that bat hemoplasmas from this study clustered into 4 genotypes (I-IV). Genotype I clustered together with hemoplasmas identified in bats from America. Genotype II shared high similarity with a human-pathogenic hemoplasma Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis. Genotype III and IV were unique, representing 2 new hemoplasma genotypes. Only genotype I was identified in both bats and all bat-ectoparasites including bat-flies, bat-mites, and bat-ticks. In conclusion, bats and bat-ectoparasites from China harbored abundant genetically diverse hemoplasmas including potential human-pathogenic hemoplasmas, indicating bats and bat-ectoparasites may play important roles in the maintenance and transmission of hemoplasmas in the natural foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ze-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiu-Ming Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Lan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chuan-Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Institute of Epidemiology Research, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui-Ju Han
- School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong, Academy of Medical Sciences, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Xue-Jie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Corresponding authors.
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Hemotropic Mycoplasma. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2022; 52:1319-1340. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2022.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Federici L, Masulli M, De Laurenzi V, Allocati N. An overview of bats microbiota and its implication in transmissible diseases. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1012189. [PMID: 36338090 PMCID: PMC9631491 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1012189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent pandemic events have raised the attention of the public on the interactions between human and environment, with particular regard to the more and more feasible transmission to humans of micro-organisms hosted by wild-type species, due to the increasing interspecies contacts originating from human’s activities. Bats, due to their being flying mammals and their increasing promiscuity with humans, have been recognized as hosts frequently capable of transmitting disease-causing microorganisms. Therefore, it is of considerable interest and importance to have a picture as clear as possible of the microorganisms that are hosted by bats. Here we focus on our current knowledge on bats microbiota. We review the most recent literature on this subject, also in view of the bat’s body compartments, their dietary preferences and their habitat. Several pathogenic bacteria, including many carrying multidrug resistance, are indeed common guests of these small mammals, underlining the importance of preserving their habitat, not only to protect them from anthropogenic activities, but also to minimize the spreading of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Federici
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Michele Masulli
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Laurenzi
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Nerino Allocati
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d' Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nerino Allocati,
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Distribution of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Domestic Animals and Their Ticks in the Countries of the Mediterranean Basin between 2000 and 2021: A Systematic Review. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061236. [PMID: 35744755 PMCID: PMC9228937 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) include a wide range of bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause a large spectrum of animal, human and zoonotic tick-borne diseases (TBDs). The object of this review was to establish an inventory and an analysis of TBPs found in domestic animals in the countries of the Mediterranean Basin. This geographic area occupies a central position between several continents and is an area of movement for animals, humans and pathogens of interest and their vectors, which is important in terms of animal and human health. In this systematic review, we included a total of 271 publications produced between 2000–2021 concerning TBPs in domestic animals. Among this literature, we found a total of 90 pathogen species (known as TBPs) reported in the 20 countries of the area; these were detected in tick species from domestic animals and were also directly detected in domestic animals. In all, 31 tick species were recorded and 12 domestic animal species, the latter comprising nine livestock and three pet species. More than 50% of the publications were from Western Europe. Island data were extracted and assessed, as islands of the Mediterranean Basin were represented in 16% of the publications and 77.8% of the TBPs reported. Our results show the importance of islands in the monitoring of TBPs, despite the low percentage of publications.
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Anaemia in Lambs Caused by Mycoplasma ovis: Global and Australian Perspectives. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111372. [PMID: 35681835 PMCID: PMC9179446 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Mycoplasma ovis (formerly Eperythrozoon ovis) inhabits red blood cells and may cause their destruction, leading to anaemia, jaundice and death mainly in lambs, and condemnation of jaundiced carcases at abattoirs. Mycoplasmosis is spread during high-risk procedures that expose or share blood, especially when blood sucking flies and other insects are present on wounds that transfer infection. High-risk procedures include vaccination (re-use of needles), ear-tagging (ineffective disinfection), surgical castration and mulesing (in Australia), and potentially crutching and shearing, with outbreaks usually occurring up to 6 weeks later. Affected animals are weak, lagging in the ‘tail of the mob’ and collapsing when mustered. The investigation of other causes of anaemia and jaundice is required, particularly haemonchosis (Barbers pole worms) and malnutrition. The diagnosis involves the demonstration of M. ovis in blood smears and/or by PCR, although the absence of the parasite in smears from affected animals requires the examination of in-contact healthy animals. Treatment with antibiotics is ineffective. For its control, it is required that risky procedures are avoided during high insect activity and the yarding of stock within the next 6 weeks is minimised. Recent anecdotal observations suggest that improved farm practices, including fly control and pain/antiseptic wound dressing may potentially decrease M. ovis risk on some farms in some areas of Australia. Abstract Mycoplasma ovis (formerly Eperythrozoon ovis) is a haemotropic parasitic bacterium found within erythrocytes and distributed widely in global sheep and goat production regions. M. ovis is transmitted by biting flies and by contaminated instruments, causing morbidity and mortalities from anaemia, usually within 6 weeks following blood-exposure procedures, particularly vaccination, castration, ear tagging, mulesing, and occasionally crutching and shearing. Affected animals develop haemolytic anaemia and may have jaundice, causing abattoir condemnations. The typical history, clinical and pathological findings, display of M. ovis in blood smears and/or by PCR is diagnostic, although immune responses deplete M. ovis from smears; hence, in-contact healthy animals should be examined. Differential diagnoses include haemonchosis, fasciolosis, malnutrition (copper or vitamin B12 deficiency), and plant toxicities. M. ovis parasitaemia may persist, with recrudescence following stressful events, although most older sheep remain immune. Human infections have been reported. Inadequate socioeconomic data present difficulties in assessing the impact of M. ovis on production and as antimicrobial therapy is ineffective, its control requires management practices that minimize the impact of invasive procedures in periods when risks of M. ovis transmission are more likely. Although considered an emerging pathogen, recent improvements in welfare attitudes and husbandry practices on Australian sheep farms may potentially limit the transmission of M. ovis.
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Alcorn K, Gerrard J, Cochrane T, Graham R, Jennison A, Irwin PJ, Barbosa AD. First Report of Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis Infection in Australia Causing Persistent Fever in an Animal Carer. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:634-640. [PMID: 32006025 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) infect animals and humans and can lead to clinical syndromes mainly characterized by hemolytic anemia. A novel pathogen, Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis, was recently associated with a case of human hemoplasmosis in Europe. Here we report the first detection of this pathogen in an Australian patient exhibiting persistent fever, hemolytic anemia, and pancytopenia over a 10-month period. METHODS After exhaustive negative testing for human infectious diseases, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on the patient's bone marrow aspirate, using an Illumina NextSeq500 platform. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by Sanger sequencing, was then performed on blood samples using novel Mycoplasma-specific primers targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. In addition, a Mycoplasma-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was developed to differentiate Mycoplasma cells from other erythrocyte inclusions (eg, Pappenheimer and Howell-Jolly bodies) which are morphologically similar to bacterial cocci by light microscopy. RESULTS WGS analysis revealed that approximately 0.04% of the total number of unmapped reads to human genome corresponded to Mycoplasma species. A 1-kb Mycoplasma 16S fragment was successfully amplified by conventional PCR, and sequence analyses revealed 100% identity with Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis. FISH confirmed that several (approximately 2%) epierythrocytic inclusions initially observed by light microscopy corresponded to Mycoplasma cells. CONCLUSIONS This represents the second report of hemolytic anemia associated with hemoplasma infection in a human, and the first report of human hemoplasmosis in Australia. This study highlights the importance of new and emerging diagnostic approaches and need for further investigations on the epidemiology of Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Alcorn
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Gold Coast Health Service, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - John Gerrard
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Gold Coast Health Service, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Tara Cochrane
- Department of Haematology, Gold Coast University Hospital and Griffiths University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Rikki Graham
- Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Amy Jennison
- Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Vector- and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Amanda D Barbosa
- Vector- and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia.,CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil
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11
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Retief L, Bennett NC, Bastos ADS. Molecular detection and characterization of novel haemotropic Mycoplasma in free-living mole rats from South Africa. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 89:104739. [PMID: 33535089 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The importance of haemotropic Mycoplasma (haemoplasma) infections to animal and human health is increasingly recognised. Although wild rodents are known to host these bacteria, haemoplasma prevalence and diversity in small mammals is under-documented, globally. This is due to the reliance on molecular approaches to detect these unculturable, obligate bacteria and to a paucity of assays targeting informative gene regions. We attempted to address these challenges by evaluating the performance of three 16S rRNA PCR assays for detecting Mycoplasma in four African mole-rat species of the family Bathyergidae. This was achieved by screening DNA samples prepared from lung and liver samples of 260 bathyergids, sampled from natural and urban landscapes in the Western Cape Province with one published and two novel conventional PCR assays. Sequence-confirmed Mycoplasma presence guided calculations of the relative sensitivity and specificity of the assays and revealed that 26.5% of the rodents were haemoplasma-positive. Bathyergus suillus sampled near an informal human settlement had a significantly higher infection rate (42%) than the three bathyergid species sampled from natural settings, for which PCR-positivity ranged from 0% to 36%. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny identified the presence of six Mycoplasma strains in bathyergids that form a novel monophyletic lineage belonging to the haemofelis group, with 16S rRNA and Rnase P gene phylogenies indicating that the bathyergid-associated haemoplasmas were novel and closely related to Mycoplasma coccoides. Assay sensitivity ranged from 60.3% to 76.8% and specificity from 94.8% to 100% and both were highest for the novel assay targeting a ~ 300 bp region of the 16S rRNA gene. Results confirm the presence of novel haemoplasma strains in bathyergid species from South Africa and emphasise the need for expanded studies on haemoplama prevalence, diversity, and transmission routes in other small mammal species from this biodiverse region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liezl Retief
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; South African Research Chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Armanda D S Bastos
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
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12
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Millán J, Di Cataldo S, Volokhov DV, Becker DJ. Worldwide occurrence of haemoplasmas in wildlife: Insights into the patterns of infection, transmission, pathology and zoonotic potential. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:3236-3256. [PMID: 33210822 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Haemotropic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) have increasingly attracted the attention of wildlife disease researchers due to a combination of wide host range, high prevalence and genetic diversity. A systematic review identified 75 articles that investigated haemoplasma infection in wildlife by molecular methods (chiefly targeting partial 16S rRNA gene sequences), which included 131 host genera across six orders. Studies were less common in the Eastern Hemisphere (especially Africa and Asia) and more frequent in the Artiodactyla and Carnivora. Meta-analysis showed that infection prevalence did not vary by geographic region nor host order, but wild hosts showed significantly higher prevalence than captive hosts. Using a taxonomically flexible machine learning algorithm, we also found vampire bats and cervids to have greater prevalence, whereas mink, a subclade of vesper bats, and true foxes all had lower prevalence compared to the remaining sampled mammal phylogeny. Haemoplasma genotype and nucleotide diversity varied little among wild mammals but were marginally lower in primates and bats. Coinfection with more than one haemoplasma species or genotype was always confirmed when assessed. Risk factors of infection identified were sociality, age, males and high trophic levels, and both prevalence and diversity were often higher in undisturbed environments. Haemoplasmas likely use different and concurrent transmission routes and typically display enzootic dynamics when wild populations are studied longitudinally. Haemoplasma pathology is poorly known in wildlife but appears subclinical. Candidatus Mycoplasma haematohominis, which causes disease in humans, probably has it natural host in bats. Haemoplasmas can serve as a model system in ecological and evolutionary studies, and future research on these pathogens in wildlife must focus on increasing the geographic range and taxa of studies and elucidating pathology, transmission and zoonotic potential. To facilitate such work, we recommend using universal PCR primers or NGS protocols to detect novel haemoplasmas and other genetic markers to differentiate among species and infer cross-species transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Millán
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.,Fundación ARAID, Zaragoza, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sophia Di Cataldo
- Programa de Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Dmitriy V Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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13
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Descloux E, Mediannikov O, Gourinat AC, Colot J, Chauvet M, Mermoud I, Desoutter D, Cazorla C, Klement-Frutos E, Antonini L, Levasseur A, Bossi V, Davoust B, Merlet A, Goujart MA, Oedin M, Brescia F, Laumond S, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Flying Fox Hemolytic Fever, Description of a New Zoonosis Caused by Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 73:e1445-e1453. [PMID: 33119064 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemotropic mycoplasmas, previously classified in the genus Eperythrozoon, have been reported as causing human infections in Brazil, China, Japan, and Spain. METHODS In 2017, we detected DNA from Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis in the blood of a Melanesian patient from New Caledonia presenting with febrile splenomegaly, weight loss, life-threatening autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and hemophagocytosis. The full genome of the bacterium was sequenced from a blood isolate. Subsequently, we retrospectively (2011-2017) and prospectively (2018-2019) tested patients who had been hospitalized with a similar clinico-biological picture. In addition, as these patients had been in contact with frugivorous bats (authorized under conditions for hunting and eating in New Caledonia), we investigated the role of these animals and their biting flies by testing them for hemotropic mycoplasmas. RESULTS There were 15 patients found to be infected by this hemotropic mycoplasma. Among them, 4 (27%) died following splenectomy performed either for spontaneous spleen rupture or to cure refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The bacterium was cultivated from the patient's blood. The full genome of the Neocaledonian Candidatus M. haemohominis strain differed from that of a recently identified Japanese strain. Of 40 tested Pteropus bats, 40% were positive; 100% of collected bat flies Cyclopodia horsfieldi (Nycteribiidae, Diptera) were positive. Human, bat, and dipteran strains were highly similar. CONCLUSIONS The bacterium being widely distributed in bats, Candidatus M. haemohominis, should be regarded as a potential cause of severe infections in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Descloux
- Service de Médecine Interne et Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille University, Institut pour la recherche et le développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Ann-Claire Gourinat
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Julien Colot
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie.,Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Institut Pasteur, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Martine Chauvet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Isabelle Mermoud
- Laboratoire de Nouvelle Calédonie, Direction des Affaires Vétérinaires, Alimentaires et Rurales, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Denise Desoutter
- Laboratoire de Nouvelle Calédonie, Direction des Affaires Vétérinaires, Alimentaires et Rurales, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Cécile Cazorla
- Service de Médecine Interne et Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Elise Klement-Frutos
- Service de Médecine Interne et Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Luca Antonini
- Service de Médecine Interne, Centre Hospitalo-universitaire de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- Aix Marseille University, Institut pour la recherche et le développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Vincent Bossi
- Aix Marseille University, Institut pour la recherche et le développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Davoust
- Aix Marseille University, Institut pour la recherche et le développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Audrey Merlet
- Service de Médecine Interne et Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Marie-Amélie Goujart
- Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston Bourret, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Malik Oedin
- Institut Agronomique Néo-Calédonien, Equipe Agriculture Biodiversité et Valorisation (ARBOREAL), Païta, Nouvelle-Calédonie
| | - Fabrice Brescia
- Institut Agronomique Néo-Calédonien, Equipe Agriculture Biodiversité et Valorisation (ARBOREAL), Païta, Nouvelle-Calédonie
| | - Sylvie Laumond
- Service de Santé Publique, Direction des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales de Nouvelle Calédonie, Noumea, Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, service de santé des armées, Vecteurs - Infections Tropicales et Méditeranéennes, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille University, Institut pour la recherche et le développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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14
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Paul BT, Jesse FFA, Chung ELT, Che-Amat A, Mohd Lila MA, Hashi HA, Norsidin MJ. Review of clinical aspects, epidemiology and diagnosis of haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis in small ruminants: current status and future perspectives in tropics focusing on Malaysia. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020; 52:2829-2844. [PMID: 32712811 PMCID: PMC7382646 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-020-02357-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma ovis (formerly Eperythrozoon ovis) is an epierythrocytic parasitic bacterium of small ruminants known as haemotropic mycoplasma, which is transmitted mechanically by biting flies and contaminated instruments. Acute mycoplasmosis causes severe haemolytic anaemia and mortality in young animals. At the same time, chronic disease may produce mild anaemia and varying degrees of morbidity depending on several factors, including age, reproductive status, the plane of nutrition, immunological status and the presence of concurrent infection. Haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis is currently recognised as an emerging zoonotic pathogen which is widely distributed in the sheep and goat producing areas of tropics and subtropics, where the disease is nearly endemic. Human infection has been reported in pregnant women, immunocompromised patients and people exposed to animals and arthropods. The current diagnosis of haemoplasma relies on microscopic evaluation of Giemsa-stained blood smear and PCR. Although there are few published reports on the incidence of haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis infection of small ruminants in Malaysia, information on its prevalence, risk factors, severity and economic impacts is grossly inadequate. Therefore, a large-scale survey of small ruminant flocks is necessary to elucidate the current seroprevalence status and molecular characteristics of haemotropic M. ovis infection in Malaysia using ELISA and PCR sequencing technologies. In the future, surveillance programs, including vector forecast, quarantine, monitoring by periodic surveys and public enlightenment, will limit the internal and transboundary spread of M. ovis, enhance control efforts and mitigate production losses in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bura Thlama Paul
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, 600230 Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria
| | - Faez Firdaus Abdullah Jesse
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. .,Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Eric Lim Teik Chung
- Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Azlan Che-Amat
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hamza Abdirahman Hashi
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Jefri Norsidin
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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15
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Fritschi J, Marti H, Seth-Smith HMB, Aeby S, Greub G, Meli ML, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Mühldorfer K, Stokar-Regenscheit N, Wiederkehr D, Pilo P, Van Den Broek PR, Borel N. Prevalence and phylogeny of Chlamydiae and hemotropic mycoplasma species in captive and free-living bats. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:182. [PMID: 32590949 PMCID: PMC7318495 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bats are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, however, little is known about the presence of Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas. This study investigated 475 captive and free-living bats from Switzerland, Germany, and Costa Rica for Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas by PCR to determine the prevalence and phylogeny of these organisms. RESULTS Screening for Chlamydiales resulted in a total prevalence of 31.4%. Positive samples originated from captive and free-living bats from all three countries. Sequencing of 15 samples allowed the detection of two phylogenetically distinct groups. These groups share sequence identities to Chlamydiaceae, and to Chlamydia-like organisms including Rhabdochlamydiaceae and unclassified Chlamydiales from environmental samples, respectively. PCR analysis for the presence of hemotropic mycoplasmas resulted in a total prevalence of 0.7%, comprising free-living bats from Germany and Costa Rica. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three sequences related to other unidentified mycoplasmas found in vampire bats and Chilean bats. CONCLUSIONS Bats can harbor Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas and the newly described sequences in this study indicate that the diversity of these bacteria in bats is much larger than previously thought. Both, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas are not restricted to certain bat species or countries and captive and free-living bats can be colonized. In conclusion, bats represent another potential host or vector for novel, previously unidentified, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Fritschi
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Marti
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Helena M B Seth-Smith
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Aeby
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marina L Meli
- Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Clinical Laboratory, Department for Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Regina Hofmann-Lehmann
- Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Clinical Laboratory, Department for Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kristin Mühldorfer
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Danja Wiederkehr
- Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Paola Pilo
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Nicole Borel
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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16
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Becker DJ, Speer KA, Brown AM, Fenton MB, Washburne AD, Altizer S, Streicker DG, Plowright RK, Chizhikov VE, Simmons NB, Volokhov DV. Ecological and evolutionary drivers of haemoplasma infection and bacterial genotype sharing in a Neotropical bat community. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1534-1549. [PMID: 32243630 PMCID: PMC8299350 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Most emerging pathogens can infect multiple species, underlining the importance of understanding the ecological and evolutionary factors that allow some hosts to harbour greater infection prevalence and share pathogens with other species. However, our understanding of pathogen jumps is based primarily around viruses, despite bacteria accounting for the greatest proportion of zoonoses. Because bacterial pathogens in bats (order Chiroptera) can have conservation and human health consequences, studies that examine the ecological and evolutionary drivers of bacterial prevalence and barriers to pathogen sharing are crucially needed. Here were studied haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (i.e., haemoplasmas) across a species-rich bat community in Belize over two years. Across 469 bats spanning 33 species, half of individuals and two-thirds of species were haemoplasma positive. Infection prevalence was higher for males and for species with larger body mass and colony sizes. Haemoplasmas displayed high genetic diversity (21 novel genotypes) and strong host specificity. Evolutionary patterns supported codivergence of bats and bacterial genotypes alongside phylogenetically constrained host shifts. Bat species centrality to the network of shared haemoplasma genotypes was phylogenetically clustered and unrelated to prevalence, further suggesting rare-but detectable-bacterial sharing between species. Our study highlights the importance of using fine phylogenetic scales when assessing host specificity and suggests phylogenetic similarity may play a key role in host shifts not only for viruses but also for bacteria. Such work more broadly contributes to increasing efforts to understand cross-species transmission and the epidemiological consequences of bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Becker
- Department of BiologyIndiana UniversityBloomingtonINUSA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious DiseaseUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Kelly A. Speer
- Richard Gilder Graduate SchoolAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNYUSA
- Department of Invertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteNational Zoological ParkWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Alexis M. Brown
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNYUSA
| | | | - Alex D. Washburne
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious DiseaseUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Daniel G. Streicker
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchGlasgowUK
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Vladimir E. Chizhikov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMDUSA
| | - Nancy B. Simmons
- Richard Gilder Graduate SchoolAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNYUSA
- Department of MammalogyDivision of Vertebrate ZoologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Dmitriy V. Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMDUSA
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17
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Di Cataldo S, Kamani J, Cevidanes A, Msheliza EG, Millán J. Hemotropic mycoplasmas in bats captured near human settlements in Nigeria. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 70:101448. [PMID: 32109761 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The presence of DNA of hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) was investigated for the first time in bats in Africa. Blood samples from 90 bats captured within or near human settlements in nine study areas from five states in Nigeria belonging to six genera of the families Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae, and Molossidae were analyzed using conventional PCR protocol targeting a 391 bp part of the 16S rRNA gene. Of these, 32 samples (35 %) resulted positive. Eight nucleotide sequence types were identified, which were assigned to five genotypes showing between 93-99 % similarity with hemoplasmas from bats and/or rodents from other parts of the world, and/or Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis from a human patient. Network analysis showed genetic structure of hemoplasma sequences among bat species, but some sequences were shared among bats of different taxonomic groups and distant study areas. Further characterization of the samples using a protocol targeting ∼1200 bp of the 16S rRNA gene resulted in seven sequences that confirmed the results of the screening protocol. Hemoplasmas in Nigerian bats are prevalent, widely distributed and genetically diverse. The zoonotic risk to local inhabitants should not be neglected, due to the high similarity of some of the retrieved sequences with the human pathogen C. M. haemohominis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Di Cataldo
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 252, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joshua Kamani
- Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research Institute PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 252, Santiago, Chile
| | - Emmanuel G Msheliza
- Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research Institute PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Javier Millán
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 252, Santiago, Chile; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain; Fundación ARAID, Avda. de Ranillas, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
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18
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Abstract
Cervids represent a mammal group which plays an important role in the maintenance of ecological balance. Recent studies have highlighted the role of these species as reservoirs for several arthropods-borne pathogens. Globally, hemotropic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) are emerging or remerging bacteria that attach to red blood cells of several mammals species causing hemolytic anaemia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and assess the phylogenetic positioning of Mycoplasma ovis in free-ranging deer from Brazil. Using a polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16S rRNA region, 18 (40%) out of 45 sampled deer were positive to M. ovis. Among the nine sequences analysed, four distinct genotypes were identified. The sequences detected in the present study were closely related to sequences previously identified in deer from Brazil and the USA. On the other hand, the Neighbour-Net network analysis showed that the human-associated M. ovis genotypes were related to genotypes detected in sheep and goats. The present study shows, for the first time, the occurrence of M. ovis in Mazama gouazoubira and Mazama bororo deer species, expanding the knowledge on the hosts harbouring this haemoplasma species. Once several deer species have your population in decline, additional studies are needed to evaluate the pathogenicity of M. ovis among deer populations around the world and assess its potential as reservoir hosts to human infections.
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19
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Correia Dos Santos L, Vidotto O, Dos Santos NJR, Ribeiro J, Pellizzaro M, Dos Santos AP, Haisi A, Wischral Jayme Vieira TS, de Barros Filho IR, Cubilla MP, Araujo JP, da Costa Vieira RF, Ullmann LS, Biondo AW. Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) in free-ranging bats from Southern Brazil. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 69:101416. [PMID: 31931453 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are bacteria distributed worldwide and affect domestic and wildlife animals and human beings. Hemoplasmas have been described infecting hematophagous and non-hematophagous bats; however, transmission risk and zoonotic potential in vampire bats remain to be fully established. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of hemotropic mycoplasma species in free-ranging bats from this area using a universal PCR protocol for hemoplasmas. Accordingly, ten blood samples were collected from six male common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), two male hairy-legged vampire bats (Diphylla ecaudata), and two female non-hematophagous Pallas's mastiff bats (Molossus sp.) from the Curitiba's region, Paraná State, Southern Brazil. A total of eight (8/10) blood samples were positive byconventional PCR; five (5/6) Desmodus rotundus, two (2/2) Diphylla ecaudata, and one (1/2) Molossus sp. bats. The analyses of the partial sequence of the 16S rDNA gene suggest that the hemoplasma detected in Desmodus rotundus in South Brazil has a high identity compared to the hemoplasma circulating in vampire bats from Central and South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonilda Correia Dos Santos
- Engineering and Exact Sciences Center, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, 85870-650, Brazil; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, R. dos Funcionários, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil.
| | - Odilon Vidotto
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, 86057-970, Brazil.
| | | | - Juliano Ribeiro
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, s/n, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, Brazil.
| | - Maysa Pellizzaro
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, R. dos Funcionários, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil.
| | - Andrea Pires Dos Santos
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Amanda Haisi
- Biotechnology Institute, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Al. das Tecomarias, s/n, Chácara Capão Bonito, Botucatu, SP, 18607-440, Brazil.
| | | | - Ivan Roque de Barros Filho
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, R. dos Funcionários, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil.
| | - Michelle Pires Cubilla
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, s/n, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, Brazil.
| | - João Pessoa Araujo
- Biotechnology Institute, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Al. das Tecomarias, s/n, Chácara Capão Bonito, Botucatu, SP, 18607-440, Brazil.
| | - Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, R. dos Funcionários, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil.
| | - Leila Sabrina Ullmann
- Biotechnology Institute, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Al. das Tecomarias, s/n, Chácara Capão Bonito, Botucatu, SP, 18607-440, Brazil.
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, R. dos Funcionários, 1540, Curitiba, PR, 80035-050, Brazil; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, s/n, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, Brazil.
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Polychromophilus melanipherus and haemoplasma infections not associated with clinical signs in southern bent-winged bats ( Miniopterus orianae bassanii) and eastern bent-winged bats ( Miniopterus orianae oceanensis). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 8:10-18. [PMID: 30619705 PMCID: PMC6287050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
While bats are often viewed as carriers of infectious disease agents, little research has been conducted on the effects these pathogens may have on the bat populations themselves. The southern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus orianae bassanii) is a critically endangered subspecies endemic to south-eastern Australia. Population numbers of this bat have declined over the past 50 years, but the reasons for this are unclear. As part of a larger study to determine if disease could be a contributing factor to this decline, southern bent-winged bats from several locations in Victoria and South Australia were captured and examined for the presence of the blood parasite, Polychromophilus melanipherus, and haemoplasmas (Mycoplasma sp.). Results were compared with those obtained from populations of the more common, partially sympatric, eastern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) from three different locations in Victoria. Both organisms were found in both subspecies (prevalence of P. melanipherus 60% by PCR for southern bent-winged bats compared with 46% for eastern bent-winged bats; prevalence of haemoplasmas 10% for southern bent-winged bats compared with 8% for eastern bent-winged bats), with no association between the probability of infection, body weight, abnormal blood parameters or any other indicators of ill health. However, Victorian southern bent-winged bats had heavier burdens of P. melanipherus than both the South Australian southern bent-winged bats and eastern bent-winged bats. Further investigations are required to determine if these differences are impacting population health.
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Li J, Li L, Jiang H, Yuan L, Zhang L, Ma JE, Zhang X, Cheng M, Chen J. Fecal Bacteriome and Mycobiome in Bats with Diverse Diets in South China. Curr Microbiol 2018; 75:1352-1361. [PMID: 29922970 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-018-1530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bats can be divided into frugivory, nectarivory, insectivory, and sanguivory based on their diets, and are therefore ideal wild animal models to study the relationship between diets and intestinal microflora. Early studies of bat gut bacteria showed that the diversity and structure of intestinal bacterial communities in bats are closely related to dietary changes. Worthy of note, intestinal microbes are composed of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and archaea. Although the number of gut fungi is much lower than that of gut bacteria, they also play an important role in maintaining the host homeostasis. However, there are still few reports on the relationship between the gut mycobiota and the dietary habits of the host. In addition, bats have also been shown to naturally transmit pathogenic viruses and bacteria through their feces and saliva, but fungal infections from bat are less studied. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S and eukaryotic 18S rRNA genes in the V4 and V9 regions to characterize fecal bacterial and fungal microbiota in phytophagous and insectivorous bats in South China. The results show that the gut microbiota in bats were dominated by bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Bacteroidetes, and fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. There was a significant difference in the diversity of bacterial and fungal microbiota between the groups, in addition to specific bacteria and fungi populations on each of them. Of note, the number of fungi in the feces of herbivorous bats is relatively higher. Most of these fungi are foodborne and are also pathogens of humans and other animals. Thus, bats are natural carriers of fungal pathogens. The current study expands the understanding of the bat gut bacterial and fungal mycobiota and provides further insight into the transmission of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linmiao Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiying Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihong Yuan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libiao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-E Ma
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiujuan Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minhua Cheng
- Wuhan Chopper Biology Co., Ltd, Wuhan, 430000, Hubei, China
| | - Jinping Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China.
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Assessing bat droppings and predatory bird pellets for vector-borne bacteria: molecular evidence of bat-associated Neorickettsia sp. in Europe. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2018; 111:1707-1717. [PMID: 29492770 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-018-1043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In Europe, several species of bats, owls and kestrels exemplify highly urbanised, flying vertebrates, which may get close to humans or domestic animals. Bat droppings and bird pellets may have epidemiological, as well as diagnostic significance from the point of view of pathogens. In this work 221 bat faecal and 118 bird pellet samples were screened for a broad range of vector-borne bacteria using PCR-based methods. Rickettsia DNA was detected in 13 bat faecal DNA extracts, including the sequence of a rickettsial insect endosymbiont, a novel Rickettsia genotype and Rickettsia helvetica. Faecal samples of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) were positive for a Neorickettsia sp. and for haemoplasmas of the haemofelis group. In addition, two bird pellets (collected from a Long-eared Owl, Asio otus, and from a Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus) contained the DNA of a Rickettsia sp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, respectively. In both of these bird pellets the bones of Microtus arvalis were identified. All samples were negative for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydiales. In conclusion, bats were shown to pass rickettsia and haemoplasma DNA in their faeces. Molecular evidence is provided for the presence of Neorickettsia sp. in bat faeces in Europe. In the evaluated regions bat faeces and owl/kestrel pellets do not appear to pose epidemiological risk from the point of view of F. tularensis, C. burnetii and Chlamydiales. Testing of bird pellets may provide an alternative approach to trapping for assessing the local occurrence of vector-borne bacteria in small mammals.
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Abstract
With over 1200 species identified, bats represent almost one quarter of the world’s mammals. Bats provide crucial environmental services, such as insect control and pollination, and inhabit a wide variety of ecological niches on all continents except Antarctica. Despite their ubiquity and ecological importance, relatively little has been published on diseases of bats, while much has been written on bats’ role as reservoirs in disease transmission. This chapter will focus on diseases and pathologic processes most commonly reported in captive and free-ranging bats. Unique anatomical and histological features and common infectious and non-infectious diseases will be discussed. As recognition of both the importance and vulnerability of bats grows, particularly following population declines in North America due to the introduction of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome, efforts should be made to better understand threats to the health of this unique group of mammals.
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Novel hemotropic mycoplasmas are widespread and genetically diverse in vampire bats. Epidemiol Infect 2017; 145:3154-3167. [PMID: 29061202 DOI: 10.1017/s095026881700231x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats (Order: Chiroptera) have been widely studied as reservoir hosts for viruses of concern for human and animal health. However, whether bats are equally competent hosts of non-viral pathogens such as bacteria remains an important open question. Here, we surveyed blood and saliva samples of vampire bats from Peru and Belize for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (hemoplasmas), bacteria that can cause inapparent infection or anemia in hosts. 16S rRNA gene amplification of blood showed 67% (150/223) of common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) were infected by hemoplasmas. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed three novel genotypes that were phylogenetically related but not identical to hemoplasmas described from other (non-vampire) bat species, rodents, humans, and non-human primates. Hemoplasma prevalence in vampire bats was highest in non-reproductive and young individuals, did not differ by country, and was relatively stable over time (i.e., endemic). Metagenomics from pooled D. rotundus saliva from Peru detected non-hemotropic Mycoplasma species and hemoplasma genotypes phylogenetically similar to those identified in blood, providing indirect evidence for potential direct transmission of hemoplasmas through biting or social contacts. This study demonstrates vampire bats host several novel hemoplasmas and sheds light on risk factors for infection and basic transmission routes. Given the high frequency of direct contacts that arise when vampire bats feed on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, the potential of these bacteria to be transmitted between species should be investigated in future work.
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Wang X, Cui Y, Zhang Y, Shi K, Yan Y, Jian F, Zhang L, Wang R, Ning C. Molecular characterization of hemotropic mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma ovis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemovis') in sheep and goats in China. BMC Vet Res 2017; 13:142. [PMID: 28549435 PMCID: PMC5446696 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1062-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are emerging zoonotic pathogens with a worldwide distribution that can cause mild to severe hemolytic anemia, icterus, ill-thrift, infertility, and poor weight gain. However, understanding of the molecular epidemiology of hemoplasmas (Mycoplasma ovis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemovis') is limited in sheep and goats, and the hemoplasma strain/species/variant 'Candidatus M. haemovis' was poorly studied throughout the world and had never been detected in China until now. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the molecular prevalence of hemoplasmas, including M. ovis and 'Candidatus M. haemovis' in sheep and goats from seven provinces and one autonomous region of China. METHODS A total of 1364 blood samples were collected from sheep and goats in seven provinces and one autonomous region of China. All blood samples were tested for hemoplasmas (M. ovis and 'Candidatus M. haemovis') by nested PCR amplification based on 16S rRNA gene. Positive specimens underwent nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS Overall, 610 specimens (44.7%, 610/1364) were shown to be hemoplasmas (M. ovis and 'Candidatus M. haemovis') -positive by nested PCR amplification based on 16S rRNA gene. The prevalence in goats was 44.1% (379/860), and 45.8% (231/504) in sheep, while that in grazing small ruminants was 54.4% (396/728) and 33.6% (214/636) in house feeding small ruminants. Sequencing of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene was successful for the 103 randomly selected positive specimens from different farms in different sampling sites of China. Among them, analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences identified M. ovis (n = 56) and 'Candidatus M. haemovis' (n = 47). Two (KU983740 and KU983746) of the four novel genotypes obtained in this study were closely related to M. ovis, while the other two genotypes (KU983748 and KU983749) had high identity with 'Candidatus M. haemovis'. Remarkably, the genotype (KU983740) of M. ovis in sheep and goats in this study fell in a clade with two human hemoplasmas from USA (KF313922 and GU230144) and shared 99.8%-99.9% with them. CONCLUSIONS In this study, 'Candidatus M. haemovis' was first detected in Chinese sheep and goats and hemoplasmas (M. ovis and 'Candidatus M. haemovis') are highly prevalent, and widely distributed in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxing Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanyan Cui
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Shi
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yaqun Yan
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Fuchun Jian
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Rongjun Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
| | - Changshen Ning
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002 People’s Republic of China
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Evidence and molecular characterization ofBartonellaspp. and hemoplasmas in neotropical bats in Brazil. Epidemiol Infect 2017; 145:2038-2052. [DOI: 10.1017/s0950268817000966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYThe order Chiroptera is considered the second largest group of mammals in the world, hosting important zoonotic virus and bacteria.Bartonellaand hemotropic mycoplasmas are bacteria that parasite different mammals’ species, including humans, causing different clinical manifestations. The present work aimed investigating the occurrence and assessing the phylogenetic positioning ofBartonellaspp. andMycoplasmaspp. in neotropical bats sampled from Brazil. Between December 2015 and April 2016, 325 blood and/or tissues samples were collected from 162 bats comprising 19 different species sampled in five states of Brazil. Out of 322 bat samples collected, while 17 (5·28%) were positive to quantitative PCR forBartonellaspp. based onnuoGgene, 45 samples (13·97%) were positive to cPCR assays for hemoplasmas based on 16S rRNA gene. While seven sequences were obtained forBartonella(nuoG) (n= 3),gltA(n= 2),rpoB(n= 1),ftsZ(n= 1), five 16S rRNA sequences were obtained for hemoplasmas. In the phylogenetic analysis, theBartonellasequences clustered withBartonellagenotypes detected in bats sampled in Latin America countries. All five hemoplasmas sequences clustered together as a monophyletic group by Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses. The present work showed the first evidence of circulation ofBartonellaspp. and hemoplasmas among bats in Brazil.
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Westmoreland LS, Stoskopf MK, Maggi RG. Detection and prevalence of four different hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in Eastern North Carolina American black bears (Ursus americanus). Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 50:106-109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Prevalence, risk factor analysis, and hematological findings of hemoplasma infection in domestic cats from Valdivia, Southern Chile. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2016; 46:20-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Banskar S, Mourya DT, Shouche YS. Bacterial diversity indicates dietary overlap among bats of different feeding habits. Microbiol Res 2015; 182:99-108. [PMID: 26686618 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bats are among the most conspicuous mammals with extraordinary adaptations. They play a key role in the ecosystem. Frugivorous bats are important seed dispersing agents that help in maintaining forest tree diversity, while insectivorous bats are natural insect pest control agents. Several previous reports suggest that bats are reservoir of viruses; nonetheless their bacterial counterparts are relatively less explored. The present study describes the microbial diversity associated with the intestine of bats from different regions of India. Our observations stipulate that there is substantial sharing of bacterial communities between the insectivorous and frugivorous bats, which signifies fairly large dietary overlap. We also observed the presence of higher abundance of Mycoplasma in Cynopterus species of bats, indicating possible Mycoplasma infection. Considering the scarcity of literature related to microbial communities of bat intestinal tract, this study can direct future microbial diversity studies in bats with reference to their dietary habits, host-bacteria interaction and zoonosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Banskar
- Microbial Culture Collection, National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune 411007, India
| | - Devendra T Mourya
- National Institute of Virology, Microbial Containment Complex, Pashan, Pune 411021, India
| | - Yogesh S Shouche
- Microbial Culture Collection, National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune 411007, India.
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Millán J, López-Roig M, Delicado V, Serra-Cobo J, Esperón F. Widespread infection with hemotropic mycoplasmas in bats in Spain, including a hemoplasma closely related to "Candidatus Mycoplasma hemohominis". Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2015; 39:9-12. [PMID: 25655409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Molecular analyses of blood samples revealed infection with hemoplasmas in 97% of 31 cave bats captured in three caves in North-Eastern Spain. The characterization of 1250 bp of the 16S rRNA gene in 29 of the positive bats identified two different groups of sequences. Twenty-two Schreibers' bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) and one long-eared bat (Myotis capaccinii) shared one group, composed of seven closely related sequences. These sequences showed an identity of about 97% with "Candidatus Mycoplasma hemohominis" and the phylogenetic branch including bat and human sequences showed a 100% bootstrap value, supporting a close phylogenetic relationship between these hemoplasmas. The second group, representing a potentially novel species, was composed of a single sequence shared by six Schreibers' bats that had 91% identity with the recently reported hemoplasma from little brown bats in North America. Large bat aggregations in roosting caves probably benefits intra and inter-species transmission explaining the high observed prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Millán
- Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Marc López-Roig
- IRBIO and Department de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verónica Delicado
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Jordi Serra-Cobo
- IRBIO and Department de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Esperón
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Spain
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Activation of innate immune-response genes in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) infected with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112285. [PMID: 25391018 PMCID: PMC4229191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently bats have been associated with the emergence of diseases, both as reservoirs for several new viral diseases in humans and other animals and, in the northern Americas, as hosts for a devastating fungal disease that threatens to drive several bat species to regional extinction. However, despite these catastrophic events little Information is available on bat defences or how they interact with their pathogens. Even less is known about the response of bats to infection during torpor or long-term hibernation. Using tissue samples collected at the termination of an experiment to explore the pathogenesis of White Nose Syndrome in Little Brown Bats, we determined if hibernating bats infected with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans could respond to infection by activating genes responsible for innate immune and stress responses. Lesions due to fungal infection and, in some cases, secondary bacterial infections, were restricted to the skin. However, we were unable to obtain sufficient amounts of RNA from these sites. We therefore examined lungs for response at an epithelial surface not linked to the primary site of infection. We found that bats responded to infection with a significant increase in lungs of transcripts for Cathelicidin (an anti-microbial peptide) as well as the immune modulators tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukins 10 and 23. In conclusion, hibernating bats can respond to experimental P. destructans infection by activating expression of innate immune response genes.
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