A Novel Clade of Bat-associated Bartonellae Detected in Leptocyclopodia Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae)

Abstract

Purpose: Bartonellosis is a vector-borne disease with worldwide prevalence. Several Bartonella associated with companion animals such as Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana are the species with zoonotic implications and have become a global concern. Other bartonellae associated with wild animals, however, remain underappreciated particularly in the developing regions of the world. Methods & Materials: To explore further on this neglected bacterial agent, Leptocyclopodia (Nycteribiidae) bat flies collected from Cynopterus brachyotis (Pteropodidae), an endemic fruit bat species in Southeast Asia, were molecularly examined for the presence of Bartonella based on 16S-23S ribosomal RNA and citrate synthase genetic markers. Results: Both 16S-23S ribosomal RNA and citrate synthase sequences exhibited less than 95% similarity to all previously reported Bartonella spp. Further phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel clade of Bartonella, designated ‘clade VII’, providing insight into the six known clades of bartonellae associated with bats worldwide Conclusion: Considering the zoonotic emergence from bat reservoirs, zoonotic potential of bat-associated bartonellae should not be disregarded, including the newly detected clade of Bartonella in this study. Thus, further studies of this novel clade, especially on its taxonomy, prevalence, pathogenicity as well as the vectorial capacity in bat flies should be carried out.