Bats have emerged as potential carriers of zoonotic viruses and bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Staphylococcaceae has been isolated from their gut and nasopharynx, but there is little information about Staphylococcaceae on bat skin. Therefore, this study aimed to decipher the Staphylococci species in bat skin and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile. One hundred and forty-seven skin swabs were collected from bats during the spring and summer of 2021 and 2022. Bats were captured in different areas of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil, according to the degree of anthropization: Area 1 (Forested), Area 2 (Rural), Area 3 (Residential-A), Area 4 (Slum-– up to two floors), Area 5 (Residential-B—condo buildings), and Area 6 (Industrial). Swabs were kept in peptone water broth at 37 °C for 12 h when bacterial growth was streaked in Mannitol salt agar and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. The disc-diffusion test evaluated antimicrobial susceptibility. Staphylococcaceae were isolated from 42.8% of bats, mostly from young, from the rural area, and during summer. M. sciuri was the most frequent species; S. aureus was also isolated. About 95% of isolates were resistant to at least one drug, and most strains were penicillin resistant. Eight isolates were methicillin resistant, and the mecA gene was detected in one isolate (S. haemolyticus). Antimicrobial resistance is a One Health issue that is not evaluated enough in bats. The results indicate that bats are carriers of clinically meaningful S. aureus and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Finally, the results suggest that we should intensify action plans to control the spread of resistant bacteria.
Little is known about the influence of the urban environments on bat species ‘ecology. The urbanization process potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities’ intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. To date, the monitoring of pathogens in bats in Brazil has only been done with bats found dead or alive in households, from rabies surveillance systems. The present work aimed to investigate how urbanization influenced bat richness, relative abundance and pathogen occurrence. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lilium , Artibeus lituratus , A. fimbriatus , Glossophaga soricina , and Platyrrhinus lineatus , among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body condition index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. Several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of a harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.
Of the 181 Brazilian bat species (Mammalia: Chiroptera), 46,7% occur in urban areas. However, little is known about the influence of these environments on species’ ecology, and few studies about urban bat community structure in Brazil have been published to date. The urbanization process, however, potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities’ intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. Conversely, few published papers detected pathogens in urban bats. The present work aimed to perform bat captures in a preserved-rural-urban gradient from 2021 to 2022 to investigate how urbanization influences their richness, relative abundance, and activity degree. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lillium, Artibeus lituratus, A. fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus, among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body mass index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. No viruses (rabies and coronavirus), Salmonella spp. and Leptospira spp. were detected in the sample. Still, several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of an harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.
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