Serological and molecular investigations on Toxoplasma gondii and Leptospira spp. in bats captured in urban areas from Brazil

Abstract

Zoonoses affect multiple host species, including bats, which are known to harbor and transmit many zoonotic pathogens. The objective of this study was to detect antibodies against to Toxoplasma gondii and Leptospira spp., as well as DNA of the respective pathogens in bats captured for for rabies diagnosis. Bats at risk, falling or roosting in unusual places, were rescued by the Environmental Health Surveillance in Botucatu, São Paulo, and sent to the Zoonosis Diagnosis Service of the São Paulo State University (UNESP), FMVZ-UNESP, Campus of Botucatu, SP to perform the diagnostic test of rabies. Serum samples from these animals were used tested for the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT-Toxo), the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT-Lepto), while blood samples were submitted for conventional PCR. In total, nine species of bats, insectivores, and frugivores (n = 49) of the genera Artibeus, Eptesicus, Eumops, Lasiurus, Molossus, and Myotis. Among the 49 samples tested, MAT-Toxo detected Toxoplasma antibodies in seven (14.2%), while MAT-Lepto detected Leptospira antibodies in 3 (6.1%). None of the samples tested positive by PCR. The results indicate natural exposure of insectivorous bats to T. gondii and Leptospira spp. in urban areas of Brazil and the possibility of these animals acting as reservoirs and disseminating these pathogens in the environment.