Bats as hosts of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Minas Gerais, an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology (Amsterdam) Vol. 32; p. 100740
• Main Authors: de Araújo, Giovanna Rotondo, de Mello, Érica Munhoz, de Oliveira, Valéria Nayara Gomes Mendes, dos Santos, Talita Rodrigues, Nunes, Ramon Vieira, de Andrade, Hélida Monteiro, Furtado, Luis Fernando Viana, Rabelo, Élida Mara Leite
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-07-2022
• Subjects: Bats; Epidemiology; Leishmania; Zoonoses control; Bats; Zoonoses control; Epidemiology; Leishmania
• ISSN: 2405-9390; 2405-9390
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100740

Bats are parasitized by a wide spectrum of ecto and endoparasites, but their role as a reservoir for some zoonoses is not fully understood. The objective of this work was to evaluate the presence of Leishmania DNA in the blood of bats from 30 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We analyzed samples of 120 bats, covering 29 species. The blood samples were used for DNA extraction and submitted to conventional PCR analysis with primers directed to the Leishmania ITS-1 region of the rRNA. In total, 1.67% (2/120 samples) were positive for Leishmania spp., detected in animals from the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, the state capital. Sequencing of the positive samples revealed that both bats were infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Considering the adaptability of some bats species to synanthropic environments, the results of the present work can contribute to a better comprehension of the leishmaniasis cycle and epidemiology.
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•Possible participation of bats in the urban and wild cycles of leishmaniasis.•Leishmania spp. detection obtained by amplification of the inner transcribed space.•Association of L. infantum with Eumops auripendulus and Eptesicus brasiliensis.