Bats and zoonotic bacterial pathogens

Abstract

Zoonotic diseases cause great impacts on public and animal health, leading to huge economic losses. In this context, bats have gained prominence as potential transmitters of various diseases, with known importance in viral zoonoses and emergence in bacterial zoonoses. Thus, the aim of this dissertation was to contribute to the knowledge of the role of these animals in the cycle of zoonotic diseases, focusing on their importance as a carrier of bacterial pathogens. For this, a systematic review of zoonotic bacterial pathogens found in bats was carried out, and a cross-sectional study investigating the presence of Brucella spp., Leptospira spp. and Salmonella spp. in bats from Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The systematic review followed the guidelines of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalyses) and retrieved 146 studies. One hundred and one bacterial genera were detected in 66.7% (14/21) families of bats surveyed around the world, in a variety of clinical samples (blood, heart, lung, kidney, liver, spleen, feces, saliva, skin, among others). In the cross-sectional study, the investigation of the DNA of pathogens was carried out using molecular biology techniques in blood, liver and spleen samples of bats from the urban and wild areas of Montes Claros. The presence of DNA from Salmonella spp. was identified in a blood sample of an insectivorous female bat of the species Lasiurus blossevilli, showing the capacity of this animal to host this pathogen. Overall, our results showed that bats harbor several bacterial pathogens, having potential to act as transmitters or reservoirs of important bacterial agents from the public and animal health point of view. These results can drive the design of preventive and surveillance measures considering the One Health context.