Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., <i>Bartonella</i> spp., and Piroplasmids in Ectoparasites from Cave-Dwelling Bats in Mainland Portugal.

ABSTRACT: Bats and their ectoparasites play a crucial role in understanding the ecology and transmission of vector-borne pathogens, yet these dynamics remain poorly studied in Portugal. This study aimed to investigate the molecular occurrence of vector-borne bacteria (Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp.) and protozoa (Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.) in ectoparasites of cave-dwelling bats. Bats were sampled from two caves in Portugal, and their ectoparasites included wing mites (Spinturnix myoti), ticks (Ixodes simplex), and bat flies (Penicillidia conspicua and Nycteribia schmidlii). Molecular analyses revealed the presence of Bartonella spp. in S. myoti and N. schmidlii. Phyl

SUBMITTER: Sanches GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11946244 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature