Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. in Malaysian small flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus)

Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic pathogens responsible for a wide variety of clinical syndromes in humans. Bats have been increasingly reported as reservoirs for Bartonella spp. In this study, molecular investigation showed the presence of Bartonella DNA in two of 30 blood samples of Malaysian small flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus). Two strains (Bartonella sp. KS013a and KS013b) were isolated from a PCR-positive blood sample after five days of incubation on blood agar. Based on the dendrogram constructed from 16S rRNA gene sequences, the two strains were genetically most closely related to ruminant associated Bartonella spp. Both strains are regarded as potentially novel Bartonella species as their citrate synthase (gltA) sequences exhibit less than 96% similarities to all previously identified Bartonella spp. Additionally, high gltA sequence similarity was observed between the strains with that reported from a bat fly (Cyclopodia horsfieldi) collected from P. hypomelanus. Possible transmission of Bartonella infection through bat flies and the impact of the infection in P. hypomelanus are yet to be investigated.