Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon

Bats (Chiroptera) are among the most diverse and geographically dispersed mammals. They are of great importance to the ecosystem, as pollinators, seed dispersers and pest controllers, in addition to being hosts to several parasitic arthropods, including ticks, mites, lice, fleas and flies. Their die...

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Main Authors: Leormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior, Irineu Norberto Cunha, Felipe Rodrigues Jorge, Gustavo Graciolli, Ricardo Bassini-Silva, Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius, Maria Carolina A. Serpa, Marcelo Bahia Labruna, Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa, Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Pathogens
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/4/338
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author Leormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior
Irineu Norberto Cunha
Felipe Rodrigues Jorge
Gustavo Graciolli
Ricardo Bassini-Silva
Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
Maria Carolina A. Serpa
Marcelo Bahia Labruna
Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa
Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo
author_facet Leormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior
Irineu Norberto Cunha
Felipe Rodrigues Jorge
Gustavo Graciolli
Ricardo Bassini-Silva
Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
Maria Carolina A. Serpa
Marcelo Bahia Labruna
Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa
Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo
author_sort Leormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior
collection DOAJ
description Bats (Chiroptera) are among the most diverse and geographically dispersed mammals. They are of great importance to the ecosystem, as pollinators, seed dispersers and pest controllers, in addition to being hosts to several parasitic arthropods, including ticks, mites, lice, fleas and flies. Their diet includes the tissue and blood or other body fluids of bats. Bats are reservoirs of several disease-causing agents, many of them pathogenic to humans, such as bacteria, as well as protozoa, viruses and fungi. This study was conducted in Monte Negro, Rondônia, Brazil and the occurrence of parasitic arthropods in bats was evaluated, as well as a screening of bacteria that these ectoparasites can carry. Through a total of 69 nocturnal captures, 217 chiropterans were sampled, representing 23 species and six families. A total of 592 specimens of parasitic arthropods (ticks, mites and flies) were collected from these bats (9% dipterans, 59% ticks and 32% mites). <i>Bartonella</i> spp. were found in two species of bat flies (<i>Trichobius joblingi</i> and <i>Strebla mirabilis</i>) in peri-urban and forest areas with an infection rate of 62% and 38%, respectively. We report for the first time in Rondônia the argasid tick <i>Ornithodoros hasei</i> and its infection by a spotted fever group bacterium ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Rickettsia wissemanii’ in a peri-urban area.
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spelling doaj-art-c7b03a19bfec439a935106d97786ecc92025-08-20T02:28:38ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-03-0114433810.3390/pathogens14040338Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian AmazonLeormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior0Irineu Norberto Cunha1Felipe Rodrigues Jorge2Gustavo Graciolli3Ricardo Bassini-Silva4Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius5Maria Carolina A. Serpa6Marcelo Bahia Labruna7Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa8Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo9Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Manaus 69057-070, AM, BrazilInstituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, SP, BrazilFaculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, BrazilFederal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, BrazilZoological Collections Laboratory, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05585-000, SP, BrazilDepartment of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-970, SP, BrazilFaculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, BrazilFaculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, BrazilLeônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Manaus 69057-070, AM, BrazilLeônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Manaus 69057-070, AM, BrazilBats (Chiroptera) are among the most diverse and geographically dispersed mammals. They are of great importance to the ecosystem, as pollinators, seed dispersers and pest controllers, in addition to being hosts to several parasitic arthropods, including ticks, mites, lice, fleas and flies. Their diet includes the tissue and blood or other body fluids of bats. Bats are reservoirs of several disease-causing agents, many of them pathogenic to humans, such as bacteria, as well as protozoa, viruses and fungi. This study was conducted in Monte Negro, Rondônia, Brazil and the occurrence of parasitic arthropods in bats was evaluated, as well as a screening of bacteria that these ectoparasites can carry. Through a total of 69 nocturnal captures, 217 chiropterans were sampled, representing 23 species and six families. A total of 592 specimens of parasitic arthropods (ticks, mites and flies) were collected from these bats (9% dipterans, 59% ticks and 32% mites). <i>Bartonella</i> spp. were found in two species of bat flies (<i>Trichobius joblingi</i> and <i>Strebla mirabilis</i>) in peri-urban and forest areas with an infection rate of 62% and 38%, respectively. We report for the first time in Rondônia the argasid tick <i>Ornithodoros hasei</i> and its infection by a spotted fever group bacterium ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Rickettsia wissemanii’ in a peri-urban area.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/4/338Amazonchiropteraectoparasitesticksmitesflies
spellingShingle Leormando Fortunato Dornelas Júnior
Irineu Norberto Cunha
Felipe Rodrigues Jorge
Gustavo Graciolli
Ricardo Bassini-Silva
Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
Maria Carolina A. Serpa
Marcelo Bahia Labruna
Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa
Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo
Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
Pathogens
Amazon
chiroptera
ectoparasites
ticks
mites
flies
title Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
title_full Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
title_fullStr Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
title_full_unstemmed Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
title_short Vector-Borne Bacteria Detected in Ticks, Mites and Flies Parasitizing Bats in the State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon
title_sort vector borne bacteria detected in ticks mites and flies parasitizing bats in the state of rondonia brazilian amazon
topic Amazon
chiroptera
ectoparasites
ticks
mites
flies
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/4/338
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