Intra- and Inter-Host Assessment of <i>Bartonella</i> Diversity with Focus on Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

• Main Authors: Priscila Ikeda, Jaire Marinho Torres, Lívia Perles, Elizabete Captivo Lourenço, Heitor Miraglia Herrera, Carina Elisei de Oliveira, Rosangela Zacarias Machado, Marcos Rogério André
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Microorganisms
• Subjects: genetic diversity; Chiroptera; <i>gltA</i>; <i>Bartonella</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/11/1822

The relationship among bats, ectoparasites and associated microorganisms is important to investigate how humans can become exposed to zoonotic agents. Even though the diversity of <i>Bartonella</i> spp. in bats and ectoparasites has been previously reported, the occurrence of <i>gltA</i> genotypes within hosts has not been assessed so far. We aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of <i>Bartonella</i> spp. in non-hematophagous bats and associated ectoparasites by assessing cloned <i>gltA Bartonella</i> genotypes in intra- and inter-hosts levels, as well as by using three additional molecular markers. Overall, 13.5% (18/133) bat blood samples, 17.18% bat flies (11/64) and 23.8% (5/21) Macronyssidae mite pools showed to be positive for <i>Bartonella</i> spp. Seventeen positive samples were submitted to <i>gltA-</i>cloning and three clones were sequenced for each sample. We also obtained 11, seven and three sequences for <i>nuoG</i>, <i>rpoB</i> and <i>ftsZ</i> genes, respectively. None were positive for the other target genes. We found at least two genotypes among the three <i>gltA</i>-cloned sequences from each sample, and 13 between all the 51 sequences. Among the <i>nuoG</i>, <i>rpoB</i> and <i>ftsZ</i> sequences we found eight, five and three genotypes, respectively. In the phylogenetic analysis, the sequences were positioned mainly in groups related to <i>Bartonella</i> identified in rodents, bats and bat flies. Herein, we showed the genetic diversity of <i>Bartonella</i> in bat’s blood and associated ectoparasites samples at both intra- and inter-host levels.