Leptospiral Antibodies in Flying Foxes in Australia

Abstract

The sera of 271 pteropid bats (or flying foxes) collected from Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory were screened against a reference panel of 21 Leptospira spp. using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Sera were collected from December 1997 through August 1999. The MAT panel represented those serovars previously isolated in Australia, as well as exotic serovars found in neighboring countries. Leptospiral antibodies were detected in 75 (28%) of the sera and represented seven serovars, one of which, L. interrogans serovar cynopteri has been regarded as exotic to Australia. Sixty sera were reactive to one serovar, 12 sera were reactive to two serovars, and three sera were reactive to three serovars. The L. kirschneri serovar australis was most frequently identified (60.2%). The findings suggest a previously unrecognized role of pteropid bats in the natural history of leptospirosis. The potential exists for establishment of infection in new host species, the transmission of new serovars to known host species, and for changes in virulence of leptospires as a result of passage through these species.

Similarities in Leptospira Serogroup and Species Distribution in Animals and Humans in the Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte

“…Smythe and others 14 found a higher seroprevalence of leptospirosis (28%) in pteropid bats from Australia and leptospiral DNA has been recovered from Australian fruit bat kidney and urine. 15 Direct contacts between fruit bats and humans are rare but Pteropus fruit bats can roost in village buildings 16 and may feed on cultivated plants including papaya, banana, guava, bread fruit, or mango 16 intended for human consumption.…”

Leptospirosis Serology in the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) from Urban Sydney, Australia

“…Methods used for serological examination are described in Smythe et al (2002). The sera were screened using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) against a reference panel of 21 leptospiral serovars of L. interrogans, Leptospira borgpeterseni, Leptospira weilii, and Leptospira kirschneri species previously isolated in mainland Australia; serovar Balcanica also was included.…”

The Contribution of Bats to Leptospirosis Transmission in São Paulo City, Brazil

“…[3][4][5] One potential source of leptospiral infection is bats. Bats are known to carry some human pathogens, including Leptospira , [6][7][8][9] as well as rabies 10 and histoplasmosis. 11 Recent interest has emerged for investigating the potential role of bats as a source of infection of humans by pathogenic leptospires in forested areas such as the Amazon region.…”