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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture
Published on: October 23, 2019
Ecology of Bats, Their Ectoparasites, and Associated Pathogens on Saint Kitts Island
Will K Reeves1, Jason Beck2, Maria V Orlova3
1USASAM/PHR, 2510 5th St., Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, US Air Force, Dayton, OH (will.reeves@us.af.mil).
Abstract:
Ectoparasites of bats and bat-associated pathogens are poorly studied in the Lesser Antilles Islands. We report on an 11-mo field study on Saint Kitts Island of bat populations, their associated ectoparasites, and pathogens. We report on five ectoparasite species, including four Streblidae (Diptera) and a Spinturnicidae (Acari). Several genotypes of unnamed Bartonella were isolated from bats and ectoparasites. Microfilaria of an undetermined Litomosoides spp. were detected in blood from Artibeus jamaicensis Leach (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) (and associated ectoparasites: Trichobius intermedius Peterson and Hurka (Diptera: Streblidae) and Periglischrus iheringi Oudemans (Acari: Spinturnicidae)). In addition, an Ehrlichia sp. and Rickettsia africae were detected in the blood of several bat species. Our study is one of the first surveys of ectoparasite-borne pathogens in wild mammals from St. Kitts.
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