Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen

BACKGROUND: Filarial infections have been understudied in bats. Likewise, little is known about pathogens associated with the reproductive system in chiropterans. While semen quality is critical for reproductive success, semen-borne pathogens may contribute to reproductive failure. METHODS: For the...

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Published in:Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Main Authors: Pikula, Jiri, Piacek, Vladimir, Bandouchova, Hana, Bartlova, Marie, Bednarikova, Sarka, Burianova, Romana, Danek, Ondrej, Jedlicka, Petr, Masova, Sarka, Nemcova, Monika, Seidlova, Veronika, Zukalova, Katerina, Zukal, Jan
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
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Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10551455/
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025
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spelling ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:10551455 2023-11-05T03:45:25+01:00 Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen Pikula, Jiri Piacek, Vladimir Bandouchova, Hana Bartlova, Marie Bednarikova, Sarka Burianova, Romana Danek, Ondrej Jedlicka, Petr Masova, Sarka Nemcova, Monika Seidlova, Veronika Zukalova, Katerina Zukal, Jan 2023-09-21 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10551455/ https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025 en eng Frontiers Media S.A. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10551455/ http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025 Copyright © 2023 Pikula, Piacek, Bandouchova, Bartlova, Bednarikova, Burianova, Danek, Jedlicka, Masova, Nemcova, Seidlova, Zukalova and Zukal. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Front Vet Sci Veterinary Science Text 2023 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025 2023-10-08T01:14:22Z BACKGROUND: Filarial infections have been understudied in bats. Likewise, little is known about pathogens associated with the reproductive system in chiropterans. While semen quality is critical for reproductive success, semen-borne pathogens may contribute to reproductive failure. METHODS: For the first time we performed electroejaculation and used computer-assisted semen analysis to provide baseline data on semen quality in a parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus). RESULTS: The semen quality values measured in the V. murinus male appeared high (semen concentration = 305.4 × 10(6)/mL; progressive and motile sperm = 46.58 and 60.27%, respectively). As an incidental finding, however, microfilariae were observed in the bat semen examined. At necropsy, eight adult filarial worms, later genetically identified as Litomosa sp., were found in the peritoneal cavity, close to the stomach, of the same particoloured bat male dying as a result of dysmicrobia and haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in a wildlife rescue centre. Histopathology revealed microfilariae in the testicular connective tissue and the epidydimal connective and fat tissues. A PCR assay targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 confirmed that adult worms from the peritoneal cavity and testicular microfilariae were of the same filarial species. Mildly engorged argasid mite larvae attached to the bat skin proved negative for filarial DNA and the adult filarial worms proved negative for endosymbiont Wolbachia. CONCLUSION: While the standard filarial life cycle pattern involves a vertebrate definitive host and an invertebrate vector, represented by a blood-sucking ectoparasite, our finding suggests that microfilariae of this nematode species may also be semen-borne, with transmission intensity promoted by the polygynous mating system of vespertilionid bats in which an infected male mates with many females during the autumn swarming. Presence of microfilariae may be expected to decrease semen quality and transmission via this route may challenge the success of ... Text Vespertilio murinus Mite PubMed Central (PMC) Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10
institution Open Polar
collection PubMed Central (PMC)
op_collection_id ftpubmed
language English
topic Veterinary Science
spellingShingle Veterinary Science
Pikula, Jiri
Piacek, Vladimir
Bandouchova, Hana
Bartlova, Marie
Bednarikova, Sarka
Burianova, Romana
Danek, Ondrej
Jedlicka, Petr
Masova, Sarka
Nemcova, Monika
Seidlova, Veronika
Zukalova, Katerina
Zukal, Jan
Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
topic_facet Veterinary Science
description BACKGROUND: Filarial infections have been understudied in bats. Likewise, little is known about pathogens associated with the reproductive system in chiropterans. While semen quality is critical for reproductive success, semen-borne pathogens may contribute to reproductive failure. METHODS: For the first time we performed electroejaculation and used computer-assisted semen analysis to provide baseline data on semen quality in a parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus). RESULTS: The semen quality values measured in the V. murinus male appeared high (semen concentration = 305.4 × 10(6)/mL; progressive and motile sperm = 46.58 and 60.27%, respectively). As an incidental finding, however, microfilariae were observed in the bat semen examined. At necropsy, eight adult filarial worms, later genetically identified as Litomosa sp., were found in the peritoneal cavity, close to the stomach, of the same particoloured bat male dying as a result of dysmicrobia and haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in a wildlife rescue centre. Histopathology revealed microfilariae in the testicular connective tissue and the epidydimal connective and fat tissues. A PCR assay targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 confirmed that adult worms from the peritoneal cavity and testicular microfilariae were of the same filarial species. Mildly engorged argasid mite larvae attached to the bat skin proved negative for filarial DNA and the adult filarial worms proved negative for endosymbiont Wolbachia. CONCLUSION: While the standard filarial life cycle pattern involves a vertebrate definitive host and an invertebrate vector, represented by a blood-sucking ectoparasite, our finding suggests that microfilariae of this nematode species may also be semen-borne, with transmission intensity promoted by the polygynous mating system of vespertilionid bats in which an infected male mates with many females during the autumn swarming. Presence of microfilariae may be expected to decrease semen quality and transmission via this route may challenge the success of ...
format Text
author Pikula, Jiri
Piacek, Vladimir
Bandouchova, Hana
Bartlova, Marie
Bednarikova, Sarka
Burianova, Romana
Danek, Ondrej
Jedlicka, Petr
Masova, Sarka
Nemcova, Monika
Seidlova, Veronika
Zukalova, Katerina
Zukal, Jan
author_facet Pikula, Jiri
Piacek, Vladimir
Bandouchova, Hana
Bartlova, Marie
Bednarikova, Sarka
Burianova, Romana
Danek, Ondrej
Jedlicka, Petr
Masova, Sarka
Nemcova, Monika
Seidlova, Veronika
Zukalova, Katerina
Zukal, Jan
author_sort Pikula, Jiri
title Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
title_short Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
title_full Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
title_fullStr Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
title_full_unstemmed Case report: Filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: Litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
title_sort case report: filarial infection of a parti-coloured bat: litomosa sp. adult worms in abdominal cavity and microfilariae in bat semen
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
publishDate 2023
url http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10551455/
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025
genre Vespertilio murinus
Mite
genre_facet Vespertilio murinus
Mite
op_source Front Vet Sci
op_relation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10551455/
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025
op_rights Copyright © 2023 Pikula, Piacek, Bandouchova, Bartlova, Bednarikova, Burianova, Danek, Jedlicka, Masova, Nemcova, Seidlova, Zukalova and Zukal.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
op_doi https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1284025
container_title Frontiers in Veterinary Science
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