High occurrence of pathogenic Leptospira in vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) in Brazil

This study investigated the occurrence of pathogenic Leptospira in urban and rural bats from São Paulo State, Brazil. Kidney samples from 203 bats representing 13 species were screened by real-time PCR targeting the lipL32 gene. Positive samples were further characterized by conventional PCR targeting the lipL32 gene followed by DNA sequencing. Spatial analyses were performed to evaluate possible associations between Leptospira detection, cattle density, and land-use characteristics. Leptospira DNA was detected in 42.6% (43/101) of rural vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), whereas all 102 urban non-hematophagous bats tested negative. DNA sequencing identified Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira interrogans in 14 positive samples. No significant associations were observed between infection rates and the evaluated environmental variables. The high frequency of pathogenic Leptospira detected in vampire bats highlights their potential ecological association in rural ecosystems and supports further investigations into their role in the ecology and transmission dynamics of leptospirosis.