Bartonellaspecies in bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) from western Africa

Abstract

SUMMARYBat flies are obligate ectoparasites of bats and it has been hypothesized that they may be involved in the transmission ofBartonellaspecies between bats. A survey was conducted to identify whetherCyclopodia greefi greefi(Diptera: Nycteribiidae) collected from Ghana and 2 islands in the Gulf of Guinea harbourBartonella. In total, 137 adult flies removed fromEidolon helvum, the straw-coloured fruit bat, were screened for the presence ofBartonellaby culture and PCR analysis.BartonellaDNA was detected in 91 (66·4%) of the specimens examined and 1 strain of aBartonellasp., initially identified inE. helvumblood from Kenya, was obtained from a bat fly collected in Ghana. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to report the identification and isolation ofBartonellain bat flies from western Africa.