Blood Parasites and Health Status of Hibernating and Non-Hibernating Noctule Bats (Nyctalus noctula) ...

• Main Authors: Linhart, Petr, Bandouchova, Hana, Zukal, Jan, Votýpka, Jan, Baláž, Vojtech, Heger, Tomas, Kalocsanyiova, Vendula, Kubickova, Aneta, Nemcova, Monika, Sedlackova, Jana, Seidlova, Veronika, Veitova, Lucie, Vlaschenko, Anton, Divinova, Renata, Pikula, Jiri
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2022
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Chordata; Animalia; bats; bat; Nyctalus noctula
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13448843; https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13448843

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Co-existence of bats with a wide range of infectious agents relates to their co-evolutionary history and specific physiology. Here, we examined blood samples collected during hibernation and the post-hibernation period to assess the influence of trypanosomes and babesias on the health status of 50 Noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) using nested PCR. The impact of blood parasites on health was assessed by analysis of haematology and blood chemistry parameters in 21 bats. Prevalence of trypanosomes (Trypanosoma dionisii and T. vespertilionis) and babesia (Babesia vesperuginis) was 44% and 8%, respectively. Analysis of blood parameters indicated impact of babesia on acid–base balance. Blood chemistry parameters showed a significant decrease in total dissolved carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, increased anion gap, and no change in blood pH, suggesting compensated metabolic acidosis. Adverse effects of babesia were only apparent in hibernating bats. Our results ...