TY - JOUR
T1 - Lack of Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Pipistrellus spp. Bats from Densely Cat-Populated Areas of NE Spain
AU - Lobato-Bailón, Lourdes
AU - López-Morales, Ane
AU - Quintela, Rita
AU - Ribas, Maria Puig
AU - Molina López, Rafael
AU - Obon, Elena
AU - Napp, Sebastián
AU - Pailler-García, Lola
AU - Espunyes, Johan
AU - Cabezón, Óscar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/12/1
Y1 - 2022/12/1
N2 - Toxoplasma gondii infection in healthy animals is often asymptomatic. However, some species with little history of contact with the parasite, such as marsupials and New World primates, present high mortality rates after infection. Despite its potential conservation concern, T. gondii infection in insectivorous bats has received little attention, and its impact on bat populations’ health is unknown. To assess the putative role of insectivorous bats in the cycle of T. gondii, samples of three species of bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus and P. kuhlii) collected between 2019 and 2021 in NE Spain were tested for the presence of the parasite using a qPCR. All tissues resulted negative (0.0% prevalence with 95% CI: [0.0–2.6]) for the presence of T. gondii. Unlike previous studies on insectivorous bats from Europe, Asia and America, the present study suggests that Pipistrellus spp. bats do not play a significant role in the epidemiology of T. gondii in NE Spain. Further studies are encouraged to elucidate both the epidemiology of T. gondii and its potential impact on the health of microchiropteran species in Europe.
AB - Toxoplasma gondii infection in healthy animals is often asymptomatic. However, some species with little history of contact with the parasite, such as marsupials and New World primates, present high mortality rates after infection. Despite its potential conservation concern, T. gondii infection in insectivorous bats has received little attention, and its impact on bat populations’ health is unknown. To assess the putative role of insectivorous bats in the cycle of T. gondii, samples of three species of bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus and P. kuhlii) collected between 2019 and 2021 in NE Spain were tested for the presence of the parasite using a qPCR. All tissues resulted negative (0.0% prevalence with 95% CI: [0.0–2.6]) for the presence of T. gondii. Unlike previous studies on insectivorous bats from Europe, Asia and America, the present study suggests that Pipistrellus spp. bats do not play a significant role in the epidemiology of T. gondii in NE Spain. Further studies are encouraged to elucidate both the epidemiology of T. gondii and its potential impact on the health of microchiropteran species in Europe.
KW - Chiroptera
KW - Sarcocystidae
KW - Toxoplasma gondii
KW - Vespertilionidae
KW - diseases
KW - health
KW - host–pathogen interactions
KW - wildlife
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121451
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144603707&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/8b73eac8-d4b9-3206-9466-90773b734af1/
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121451
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121451
M3 - Article
C2 - 36558788
SN - 2076-0817
VL - 11
JO - Pathogens
JF - Pathogens
IS - 12
M1 - 1451
ER -
