Genetic Diversity of Bartonella spp. in Wild Mammals and Ectoparasites in Brazilian Pantanal

Abstract

The present work aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Bartonella in mammals and ectoparasites in Pantanal wetland, Brazil. For this purpose, 31 Nasua nasua, 78 Cerdocyon thous, 7 Leopardus pardalis, 110 wild rodents, 30 marsupials, and 42 dogs were sampled. DNA samples were submitted to a quantitative real-time PCR assay (qPCR). Positive samples in qPCR were submitted to conventional PCR assays targeting other five protein-coding genes. Thirty-five wild rodents and three Polygenis (P.) bohlsi bohlsi flea pools showed positive results in qPCR for Bartonella spp. Thirty-seven out of 38 positive samples in qPCR were also positive in cPCR assays based on ftsZ gene, nine in nuoG-cPCR, and six in gltA-cPCR. Concatenated phylogenetic analyses showed that two main genotypes circulate in rodents and ectoparasites in the studied region. While one of them was closely related to Bartonella spp. previously detected in Cricetidae rodents from North America and Brazil, the other one was related to Bartonella alsatica, Bartonella pachyuromydis, Bartonella birtlesii, Bartonella acomydis, Bartonella silvatica, and Bartonella callosciuri. These results showed that at least two Bartonella genotypes circulate among wild rodents. Additionally, the present study suggests that Polygenis (P.) bohlsi bohlsi fleas could act as possible Bartonella vectors among rodents in Pantanal wetland, Brazil.

Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in bat ectoparasites in Brazil

“…This result corroborates the hypothesis that hemoconcentration occurs in the digestive tract of arthropods, which could improve the molecular diagnosis sensitivity of Bartonella . Thus, molecular assays performed on arthropods collected from hosts could reflect a more sensitive epidemiological model [ 95 ].…”

Investigation of Bartonella spp. in brazilian mammals with emphasis on rodents and bats from the Atlantic Forest

“…Bartonella is transmitted primarily by vectors, usually hematophagous arthropods, such as sandflies, lice, fleas, and ticks, although it has also been found in ants and honeybees ( Breitschwerdt et al, 2010 ; Fritz et al, 2018 ; Kešnerová et al, 2016 ; Siamer and Dehio, 2015 ). A total of 45 Bartonella species or genotypes have been described, all with a high degree of molecular diversity ( Breitschwerdt et al, 2010 ; Breitschwerdt and Kordick, 2000 ; de Sousa et al, 2018 ; Okaro et al, 2017 ).…”

Complete Genome Sequence of Bartonella alsatica Strain IBS 382 (CIP 105477)

“… B. alsatica strain IBS 382 (CIP 105477) was first isolated from wild rabbits in France ( 9 ). Recently, B. alsatica was detected in the desert cottontail rabbit ( Sylvilagus audubonii ) in the United States ( 10 , 11 ) and possibly in Thrichomys fosteri rodents in Brazil (hypothesized to be derived from a different evolutionary sublineage) ( 12 ). B. alsatica is mostly characterized using the 16S rRNA gene, the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region, or gltA and ftsZ ( 5 , 7 , 9 , 12 ).…”