Inhabiting the host: ectoparasites and Vector-Borne pathogens in Phyllostomidae bats within urban forest fragments

While bats are known to harbor various viruses and bacteria, their role as hosts for hemoparasites has not been extensively studied. This research investigated the presence of ectoparasites and vector-borne pathogens-including Anaplasmataceae agents, hemoplasmas, apicomplexans, and kinetoplastids-in 74 Phyllostomidae bats sampled from an urban forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. Overall, 31.1% of the bats were infested with ectoparasites: 82.6% carried only Streblidae bat flies, 13.0% had only mites, and 4.4% were co-infested with both parasites. No hemoparasites were observed in Giemsa-stained preparations. Furthermore, all samples tested negative for PCR assays targeting the orders Haemosporida and Piroplasmida, as well as for Anaplasma sp., Neorickettsia sp., Trypanosoma cruzi, and Trypanosoma evansi. Molecular analyses revealed that 1.4% of the bats were positive for Ehrlichia sp., 20.3% for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp., and 1.4% for Leishmania infantum. Coinfections were found in 1.4% of the positive samples. Sequence analyses revealed that the detected Ehrlichia sp. is closely related to Ehrlichia canis, and that the Mycoplasma sp. shares high sequence identity with bat-associated hemoplasmas. These findings document the presence of ectoparasites and hemopathogens in the sampled Phyllostomidae bats, indicating that these infectious agents circulate within urban forest fragments. While the specific role of these bats in sustaining the pathogens' life cycles remains to be fully elucidated, these initial findings underscore the need for expanded eco-epidemiological studies. This highlights the crucial need to study these pathogens in bat populations, underscoring their ecological significance and the potential implications for public health and biodiversity conservation (e.g. zoonotic spillover and population stress).