Molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens from bats in Lithuania

• Main Authors: Sakalauskas, Povilas, Snegiriovaitė, Justina, Morkūnas, Julius, Eigirdas, Vytautas, Bukauskaitė, Dovilė, Makavičius, Deividas, Paulauskas, Algimantas
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Bats (Chiroptera); Vector-borne bacteria; Konferencijų tezės nerecenzuojamuose leidiniuose / Conference theses in non-peer-reviewed publications (T2); Biologija / Biology (N010); Rago; Pipistrellus nathusii; Vespertilio murinus
• Online Access: https://www.csbsp9.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Abstract-Book-final.pdf

Bats (Chiroptera) are distributed worldwide and the second largest order of mammals (next to rodents) recognized as reservoirs or carriers of numerous species of viruses, bacteria and protozoan parasites, some of them with zoonotic potential to infect other animals or humans. They also host a range of ectoparasites (e.g. ticks, mites, bat flies, fleas) that might play a role in the transmission of pathogenic organisms.To date, much research on bats as a host of viruses has been done, while interest of vector-borne bacteria in bats has increased in recent years. In this study bat corpses were collected in different regions of Lithuania, from hibernacula sites, buildings or after wind turbine collisions. A total 6 insectivorous bat species (Pipistrellus nathusii, P. pipistrelus ,Nyctalus noctule, Vespertilio murinus, Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis daubentonii) were found. During necropsy heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen if possible due to disintegration were collected and used for further analysis. To examine living bats, blood samples were taken. Detection of Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borellia and Babesia were done using real time PCR (screening), as well as conventional PCR and sequencing (for pathogen identification) Biologijos katedra Gamtos mokslų fakultetas Kauno T. Ivanausko zoologijos muziejus. Ventės Rago ornitologinė stotis Klaipėdos universitetas Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas