Article
Ecology
Anna C. Fagre, Ausraful Islam, Will K. Reeves, Rebekah C. Kading, Raina K. Plowright, Emily S. Gurley, Clifton D. Mckee
Summary: This study investigated the dynamics of Bartonella bacteria in bat blood and bat flies in a roost in Faridpur, Bangladesh. The results showed a high prevalence of Bartonella DNA in both bat blood and bat flies, with an increase in infection rate over time in the bat blood, suggesting that bat flies may serve as vectors for this pathogen.
Article
Zoology
Carl W. Dick, Taylor B. Verrett, Paul W. Webala, Bruce D. Patterson
Summary: This study conducted a detailed investigation on the diversity of bat flies in Kenya, recording the presence of seven genera and 17 species, with seven species previously undocumented in the country. This comprehensive species catalog further emphasizes the importance of similar investigations on bat fly biodiversity across Africa.
Article
Microbiology
Attila D. Sandor, Aron Peter, Alexandra Corduneanu, Levente Barti, Istvan Csosz, Zsuzsa Kalmar, Sandor Hornok, Jeno Kontschan, Andrei D. Mihalca
Summary: The study found Polychromophilus parasites in bats in Eastern Europe, with infections mainly limited to cave-dwelling bat species and a strong correlation with Nycteribiidae prevalence. There was high genetic diversity of Polychromophilus spp. in the region, suggesting that varied host and vector assemblages may enhance bat haemosporidian parasite diversity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hui-Ju Han, Ze-Min Li, Xia Li, Jian-Xiao Liu, Qiu-Ming Peng, Rui Wang, Xiao-Lan Gu, Yuan Jiang, Chuan-Min Zhou, Dan Li, Xiao Xiao, Xue-Jie Yu
Summary: The study identified diverse Bartonella genotypes in bats and their ectoparasites in Hubei Province, Central China, suggesting potential roles of bat flies and bat mites as carriers of Bartonella, with bat flies potentially contributing to the higher genetic diversity of Bartonella due to vertical transmission. Additionally, human-pathogenic B. mayotimonesis was found in both bats and their ectoparasites, expanding knowledge on the geographic distribution of this bacterium.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabor Kemenesi, Gabor E. Toth, Martin Mayora-Neto, Simon Scott, Nigel Temperton, Edward Wright, Elke Muhlberger, Adam J. Hume, Ellen L. Suder, Brigitta Zana, Sandor A. Boldogh, Tamas Gorfol, Peter Estok, Zsofia Lanszki, Balazs A. Somogyi, Agnes Nagy, Csaba Pereszlenyi, Gabor Dudas, Fanni Foldes, Kornelia Kurucz, Monika Madai, Safia Zeghbib, Piet Maes, Bert Vanmechelen, Ferenc Jakab
Summary: The study reveals that Lloviu virus is a tropical virus that can infect humans and was first identified in Schreiber's bats in Europe. The researchers also found Lloviu virus RNA in ectoparasites of the bats. These findings support the role of bats as hosts for Lloviu virus in Europe.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Virology
Maria M. Ramirez-Martinez, Andrew J. Bennett, Christopher D. Dunn, Thomas M. Yuill, Tony L. Goldberg
Summary: The study found multiple viruses in streblid bat flies collected from bats in Mexico and Uganda, revealing previously unrecognized virus transmission cycles involving bats and bat flies. The viruses identified in the study are related to emerging zoonotic viruses and suggest potential zoonotic transmission pathways involving bats and their ectoparasites.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alexander Tendu, Yakhouba Kane, Ruiya Li, Victor Omondi, Xing Chen, Yanhua Chen, Emilio Mastriani, Jiaming Lan, Alice Catherine Hughes, Nicolas Berthet, Gary Wong
Summary: This study sampled bat ectoparasites from different bat species in Yunnan Province, China and analyzed their viral composition. The results showed that these ectoparasites harbor a variety of vertebrate and insect viruses, providing new insights into the role of bat ectoparasites in virus maintenance and transmission.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rui Wang, Ze-Min Li, Qiu-Ming Peng, Xiao-Lan Gu, Chuan-Min Zhou, Xiao Xiao, Hui-Ju Han, Xue-Jie Yu
Summary: Through collection and testing of bats and bat-ectoparasites in Eastern and Central China, it was found that they carry a diversity of hemoplasmas, including potentially harmful types to humans. This indicates that bats and bat-ectoparasites may play important roles in the maintenance and transmission of hemoplasmas.
Article
Ecology
Laura A. Najera-Cortazar, Alex Keen, Thomas Kitching, Drew Stokes, Simon J. Goodman
Summary: This study characterized ectoparasite diversity for 17 species of parasitized bats in Northwestern Mexico and the Baja California peninsula. Multiple novel lineages of bat bugs, flies, and ticks were discovered, with genetic divergence suggesting separations at least at the species level. The study provides the first systematic survey of bat ectoparasites in the Baja California peninsula, revealing highly genetically differentiated lineages.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Maria Camila N. Obdianela, Ma Patricia Venice V. Guanlao, Essex Vladimer E. Samaniego, Kathleen O. Pornobi
Summary: This study investigated the ectoparasites of bats in different caves in Unisan, Quezon, Philippines. The results showed that 64.36% of bats were infested with streblids with an average of 1 ectoparasite per bat. These findings can help the local government in raising public awareness as bats may play a role in transmitting zoonotic parasites.
ACTA PARASITOLOGICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Will K. Reeves
Summary: The Hippoboscoidea are ectoparasitic flies that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. This study highlights their underrepresentation in museum collections and their overlooked status in surveys of ectoparasites. It also emphasizes their role in the transmission of various pathogens and endoparasites, as well as their irritation to hosts.
WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Xueshuang Wang, Ruobing Zhou, Liang Lu, Chao Wang, Qiyong Liu
Summary: The paper reports the first record of Ornithoica aequisenta Maa 1966 (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from a rodent in China. It also provides an updated checklist of louse flies in mainland China and Taiwan, including 21 genera and 52 species of Hippoboscoidea (Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae, and Streblidae), as well as collection records and host species.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Taylor B. Verrett, Paul W. Webala, Bruce D. Patterson, Carl W. Dick
Summary: This study investigated the genetic variation in the African bat fly P. fulvida across different host species using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. The results showed that gene flow among different host species may be promoted by the roosting behavior and shared habitats of bats. Additionally, the presence of generalist parasites is important for the transmission of pathogens.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Joshua Kamani, Javier Gonzalez-Miguel, Emmanuel G. G. Msheliza, Tony L. L. Goldberg
Summary: The study found that straw-colored fruit bats and their bat flies carry some new viruses, some of which are specific to bats or insects, while others may be transmitted between bats and arthropods.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Riana Ramanantsalama, Steven M. Goodman, Muriel Dietrich, Camille Lebarbenchon
Summary: The Old World tropical and subtropical frugivorous bat genus Rousettus plays a crucial role as a keystone species in forest regeneration and the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Rousettus are efficient at dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers. They also serve as reservoirs for various pathogens and the study of their roosts has provided important information about infection dynamics. However, there are still many scientific details that need to be studied for the prevention of emerging diseases and the conservation of these bats.
