First molecular detection of piroplasmids in non-hematophagous bats from Brazil, with evidence of putative novel species

Ikeda, Priscila; Menezes, Taline Revollo; Torres, Jaire Marinho; Oliveira, Carina Elisei de; Lourenço, Elizabete Captivo; Herrera, Heitor Miraglia; Machado, Rosangela Zacarias; André, Marcos Rogério

doi:10.1007/s00436-020-06985-w

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…A total of 135 spleen, 133 blood and 150 ectoparasites samples were collected from 135 non-hematophagous bats captured and sampled in two different sites ("Centro de Educação Ambiental Polonês" and "Centro de Educação Ambiental Florestinha") situated in the Campo Grande city, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil as described elsewhere [74]. The bats' capture occurred quarterly between June 2017 and March 2018.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents and Coxiellaceae in Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

et al. 2021

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The Anaplasmataceae family (order Rickettsiales) encompasses obligately intracellular bacteria of the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Neorickettsia. Together with Coxiella burnetii (Coxiellaceae family, order Legionellales), these bacteria represent important causative agents of diseases in humans and animals. The scarcity of studies that investigated the occurrence of these agents in bats and their associated ectoparasites, emphasizes the need to achieve a better understanding of the role of these animals in the maintenance of such bacteria. Herein, 418 samples (133 blood, 135 spleen, and 150 ectoparasites) are collected from 135 non-hematophagous bats belonging to 12 species in a periurban area of Campo Grande city, Mato Grosso do Sul state, midwestern Brazil. In the results, 1.65% (7/418), 12.04% (50/418), and 13.63% (57/418) of samples are positive in PCR assays for Anaplasma spp. (16S rRNA gene), Ehrlichia spp. (dsb gene), and Neorickettsia spp. (16S rRNA gene), respectively. Anaplasma spp. and Neorickettsia spp. are detected in one (5.26%) Ornithodoros hasei tick larva. Ehrlichia spp. is detected in 14% of bat flies (represented by Megistopoda aranea, Trichobius costalimai, and Strebla hertigi), 6% of tick larvae (O. hasei), 12% of Spinturnicidae mites (represented by Periglischrus sp., P. torrealbai, and P. acutisternus), and 38% of Macronyssidae mites (Steatonyssuss sp.). The obtained sequences are observed to be similar to Anaplasma phagocytophilum (97.42–97.6% identified), Ehrlichia minasensis (96.73–100% identified), Neorickettsia risticii (96.7–100% identified), and Neorickettsia findlayensis (95.07–100% identified) by BLASTn analyses, and closely related to Ehrlichia ruminantium by phylogenetic analyses based on the gltA gene. No bat samples (blood/spleen) are positive in the qPCR assay for C. burnetii based on the IS1111 gene. The present work shows, for the first time, the occurrence of Anaplasmataceae in bats and associated ectoparasites (ticks, mites, and bat flies) from Brazil.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents and Coxiellaceae in Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

et al. 2021

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“…A great number of tick species are cosmopolitan vectors of infectious microorganisms that impact economically because they cause disease in humans and animals, especially in the countries of the Southern Hemisphere (Boulanger et al., 2019). In particular, tick‐borne piroplasmids of the genus Babesia and Borrelia spirochetes are emerging in South America, as recent discoveries gradually uncover their diversity (Ikeda et al., 2021; Muñoz‐Leal et al., 2020; Santodomingo et al., 2022; Weck et al., 2022). To recognize tick‐borne diseases of wild threatened animals is important from a conservation viewpoint, since pathogens can exacerbate under stressful situations (Mathieu et al., 2018; Penzhorn, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, a fifth group associated with South American micro‐mammals (i.e. rodents and bats) has been recently proposed (Ikeda et al., 2021; Santodomingo et al., 2022). Some Babesia spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, stressors such as concurrent disease, poor nutrition, rutting season, calving, high population density and transportation of captive wild animals may lead to fatal infections in wild species (Mathieu et al., 2018; Penzhorn, 2006). The diversity of piroplasmids expands mainly because of the use of genetic tools for their identification (Barbosa et al., 2019; Greay et al., 2018; Hrazdilová et al., 2020; Ikeda et al., 2021; Santodomingo et al., 2022), and because the search for these parasites includes nowadays a growing number of previously unexplored wildlife species (Schnittger et al., 2022). From a genetic viewpoint, the use of nuclear (18S rRNA) and mitochondrial (COI) loci is considered of enough resolution to infer deep phylogenetic relationships (Schnittger et al., 2012, 2022) and to separate closely related taxa (Hrazdilová et al., 2020; Schreeg et al., 2016) within the genus Babesia , respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A search for piroplasmids and spirochetes in threatened pudu ( Pudu puda ) and associated ticks from Southern Chile unveils a novel Babesia sp. and a variant of Borrelia chilensis

Santodomingo

Robbiano

Thomas

et al. 2022

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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Cervids are important hosts for ticks and although they are refractory to some tick‐borne agents such as Borrelia, they do act as reservoirs for others such as Babesia. Babesia and Borrelia are commonly transmitted by Ixodes spp. associated with deer, and most of the knowledge on their biological cycles comes from northern latitudes of the globe. In this study, we performed genetic screenings to detect tick‐borne agents in blood and Ixodes stilesi ticks collected from an insular population of threatened pudu (Pudu puda), a pygmy deer species that inhabits temperate rainforests of southern South America. Inferred by phylogenetic analyses for 18S rRNA, COI and cytb genes, our results unveiled a novel genospecies of Babesia (Babesia sp. pudui) genetically related to Babesia odocoilei, a species that infects Odocoileus virginianus deer in North America. Although blood of the deer was negative for Borrelia infection, multilocus sequencing typing performed in one I. stilesi tick revealed the occurrence of a novel genetic variant of Borrelia chilensis, differing 0.93% and 0.18% in flaB and pepX genes with the type of strain for the species, respectively. Such a genetic divergence could be the result of thousands of years of isolation because of recent glaciation events that separated pudus and their tick populations at Chiloé Island approximately 437,000 years ago. The finding of a Babesia sp. has no precedents for wild and domestic ungulates in Chile and shows a novel piroplasmid that must be considered now on in rehabilitation centres and zoos that attend pudu deer. Further research is now necessary to confirm pathogenic roles.

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“…Potentially novel species have been identified in capybaras ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) [ 22 ] hairy dwarf porcupines ( Sphiggurus villosus ) [ 23 ], opossums ( Didelphis albiventris ) [ 24 ], and coatis ( Nasua nasua ) [ 25 ] from Brazil. Moreover, putative new genotypes have also been reported in free-ranging animals from different regions of the country, such as non-human primates from the Brazilian Amazon [ 26 ] rodents from several Brazilian biomes [ 27 ] and bats [ 28 , 29 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding the Universe of Hemoplasmas: Multi-Locus Sequencing Reveals Putative Novel Hemoplasmas in Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the Largest Land Mammals in Brazil

et al. 2022

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The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest land mammal in Brazil and classified as a vulnerable species, according to the assessment of the risk of extinction. The present study aimed at investigating the occurrence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in free-ranging T. terrestris from the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. Blood samples were collected from 94 living and eight road-killed tapirs, totalizing 125 samples Conventional PCR targeting four different genes (16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, RNAse P, and dnaK) were performed, and the obtained sequences were submitted for phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses. The association between hemoplasma positivity and possible risk variables (age, gender, and origin) was assessed. Out of 122 analyzed samples, 41 (41/122; 33.61% CI: 25.84–42.38%) were positive in the 16S rRNA-based PCR assay for hemoplasmas. Positivity for hemoplasmas did not differ between tapirs’ gender and age. Tapirs from Pantanal were 5.64 times more likely to present positive results for hemoplasmas when compared to tapirs sampled in Cerrado. BLASTn, phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses performed herein showed that the sampled lowland tapirs might be infected by two genetically distinct hemoplasmas, namely ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoterrestris’ and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematotapirus’. While the former was positioned into “Mycoplasma haemofelis group” and closely related to ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, the latter was positioned into “Mycoplasma suis group” and closely related to ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematobos’. The impact of both putative novel species on tapir health status should be investigated.

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First molecular detection of piroplasmids in non-hematophagous bats from Brazil, with evidence of putative novel species

Cited by 16 publications

References 69 publications

Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents and Coxiellaceae in Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents and Coxiellaceae in Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

A search for piroplasmids and spirochetes in threatened pudu ( Pudu puda ) and associated ticks from Southern Chile unveils a novel Babesia sp. and a variant of Borrelia chilensis

Expanding the Universe of Hemoplasmas: Multi-Locus Sequencing Reveals Putative Novel Hemoplasmas in Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the Largest Land Mammals in Brazil

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