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Due to their abundance and diversity, bats (Chiroptera) play an important ecological role in the ecosystem. The objective of this study was to report the diet of fruit bat species captured in fragments of the Instituto São Vicente, Campo Grande, MS. The study was carried out September 2011 and June. We captured 154 individuals belonging to 10 species, and the frugivorous were predominant. 41 fecal samples were collected, demonstrating the presence of pulp, seeds and traces of arthropods. The resources most used by bats were pioneer plants, evidenced by the predominance of seeds of Cecropia pachystachya, consumed by Artibeus lituratus. The results shows the importance of these animals for seed dispersal.

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The multihost parasites Leishmania spp. infect a broad range of wild mammalian species including bats. Several species of bats have adapted to a variety of food resources and shelters in urban areas. This study aimed to detect Leishmania spp. DNA in bats present in forest fragments located in metropolitan areas endemic for leishmaniasis in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil. Blood samples were obtained from 80 individuals, including eight species of Phyllostomidae and one species of Vespertilionidae. Thirty of the 80 bats were positive for Leishmania spp. using conventional PCR, all belonging to the family Phyllostomidae. Eighteen samples tested by real-time PCR (qPCR) using specific primers for the kDNA of Leishmania infantum were positive. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report detecting Leishmania spp. in Platyrrhinus incarum in addition to being the first reported detection of L. infantum in the bat species Phyllostomus discolor, Platyrrhinus lineatus, Artibeus planirostris and Artibeus lituratus. Our results show that bats can host Leishmania spp. in areas endemic for leishmaniasis, which must be taken into account in disease control operations by public health authorities.

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Zika virus (ZIKV) was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda but was not considered a public health threat until 2007 when it found to be the source of epidemic activity in Asia. Epidemic activity spread to Brazil in 2014 and continued to spread throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Despite ZIKV being zoonotic in origin, information about transmission, or even exposure of non-human vertebrates and mosquitoes to ZIKV in the Americas, is lacking. Accordingly, from February 2017 to March 2018, we sought evidence of sylvatic ZIKV transmission by sampling whole blood from approximately 2000 domestic and wild vertebrates of over 100 species in West-Central Brazil within the active human ZIKV transmission area. In addition, we collected over 24,300 mosquitoes of at least 17 genera and 62 species. We screened whole blood samples and mosquito pools for ZIKV RNA using pan-flavivirus primers in a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a SYBR Green platform. Positives were confirmed using ZIKV-specific envelope gene real-time RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Of the 2068 vertebrates tested, none were ZIKV positive. Of the 23,315 non-engorged mosquitoes consolidated into 1503 pools tested, 22 (1.5%) with full data available showed some degree of homology to insect-specific flaviviruses. To identify previous exposure to ZIKV, 1498 plasma samples representing 62 species of domestic and sylvatic Viruses 2019, 11, 11643 of 18 vertebrates were tested for ZIKV-neutralizing antibodies by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT 90 ). From these, 23 (1.5%) of seven species were seropositive for ZIKV and negative for dengue virus serotype 2, yellow fever virus, and West Nile virus, suggesting potential monotypic reaction for ZIKV. Results presented here suggest no active transmission of ZIKV in non-human vertebrate populations or in alternative vector candidates, but suggest that vertebrates around human populations have indeed been exposed to ZIKV in West-Central Brazil.

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A frugivoria é difundida entre mamíferos e aves, que consomem mais de 75% das espécies de frutos de árvores tropicais. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a dieta das espécies de morcegos frugívoros capturados na Fazenda Cervinho no município de Bandeirantes/MS. A captura dos morcegos ocorreu com redes de neblina, em regiões da Reserva Legal, Área de Proteção Permanente e Mata Ciliar. A análise da dieta foi realizada através da frequência de ocorrência dos recursos encontrados nas amostras. Foram capturados 160 indivíduos pertencentes à família Phyllostomidae, com ocorrência de seis espécies, com predominância de espécies frugívoras. Foram coletadas 51 amostras fecais, onde foi identificada a presença de polpa, pólen, vestígios de artrópodes e sementes. Houve predominância de sementes de Piper sp., representado em mais da metade das amostras. As sementes encontradas nas fezes dos quirópteros na área de estudo são de espécies pioneiras, ressaltando sua importância no processo de regeneração. Palavras-chave: Dispersão de sementes; Frugivoria; Phyllostomidae AbstractAnalysis of diet of fruit bats in regeneration area of the Fazenda Cervinho, Bandeirantes, Mato Grosso do Sul. Frugivory is widespread among mammals and birds, which feed on more than 75% of species of tropical fruit trees. The objective of this study was to characterize the diet of species of fruit bats captured on Cervinho Farm in Bandeirantes/MS. The bats were captured using mist nets in the regions of the Legal Reserve, Permanent Protected Area and riparian forest. The dietary analysis was performed using the frequency of resources found in the samples. We captured 160 individuals belonging to the family Phyllostomidae, with the occurrence of six species, predominantly frugivorous species. We collected 51 fecal samples, which showed the presence of pulp, pollen, traces of arthropods and seeds. More than half of the seeds were of Piper sp. The seeds found in the feces of bats in the study area are pioneer species, highlighting their importance in the regeneration process.