Geographically widespread and novel hemotropic mycoplasmas and bartonellae in Mexican free-tailed bats and sympatric North American bat species

Abstract

AbstractBacterial pathogens remain poorly characterized in bats, especially in North America. We describe novel (and in some cases panmictic) hemoplasmas (12.9% positivity) and bartonellae (16.7% positivity) across three colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), a partially migratory species that can seasonally travel hundreds of kilometers. Molecular analyses identified three novelCandidatushemoplasma species most similar to another novelCandidatusspecies in Neotropical molossid bats. We also detected novel hemoplasmas in sympatric cave myotis (Myotis velifer) and pallid bats (Antrozous pallidus), with sequences in the latter 96.5% related toC. Mycoplasma haemohominis. We identified eightBartonellagenotypes, including those in cave myotis, with 96.7% similarity toC. Bartonella mayotimonensis. We also detectedBartonella rochalimaein migratoryTadarida brasiliensis, representing the first report of this human pathogen in bats. The seasonality and diversity of these bacteria observed here suggest that additional longitudinal, genomic, and immunological studies in bats are warranted.