| Summary: | Worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 and assumption of SARS-CoV-2 virus relations with bats, increased interest in bats as a possible reservoir for various bacterial pathogens. Because an increasing number of Bartonella spp. are being associated with human illness, the need to identify the animal reservoirs of Bartonella spp. To better understand the role of bats as reservoir hosts of Bartonella spp. and their potential risk for infecting humans and animals, we looked for Bartonella spp. in bats in Lithuania. To date, there has been no data about the presence of Bartonella spp. in bats, in Baltic states. A total 17 dead bats were found in different regions of Lithuania during the 2018-2019. During necropsy heart, liver, spleen, kidney if possible due to disintegration were collected. DNA extraction was carried out using GeneJET Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lithuania) according to the manufacturer"s instructions and stored at – 20°C for further analyses. For Bartonella spp. detection real time PCR was performed targeting ssrA gene. Positive samples were preparing for sequence by amplified gltA gene and ITS region. Bartonella spp. DNA was detected in 4 bats (5,54%), belonging to three species: Vespertilio murinus, Pipistrellus nathusii and Myotis daubentoni. The sequences of ITS region and gltA gene analyses showed that all four DNA sequences were similar but not identical with Bartonella sp. sequences derived from GenBank form bats of other countries. Analysis of obtained sequences of ITS region shows 3 different genetic variants. The sequences of gltA gene revealed 4 unique genetic variants Biologijos katedra Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
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