Test for Borrelia spp. in bats in an urban area in the South of Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: We investigated the occurrence of relapsing fever (RF) causing Borrelia genus spirochetes in synanthropic bats from the municipality of Maringá, Paraná, South of Brazil. Methods: Tissue samples from the wings of bats were collected monthly from April 2013 to February 2014 and extracted DNA was used to evaluate the presence of RF causing Borrelia spp. Results: All bat tissues tested negative for RF causing Borrelia spp. Conclusions: Borrelia spp. do not occur in chiropterans from Maringá.