Tripanosomatide infection in chiropters captured in the city of Natal-RN
Chiropterans; Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania infantum, trypanosomatids, bats.
Trypanosomatids are protozoa belonging to the Trypanosomatidae family, which inhere Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum, etiologic parasites of Chagas disease and visceral leishmaniasis. Chiropterans are ancient and natural hosts of T. cruzi and L. infantum. However, the participation of bats in the epidemiological cycle of T. cruzi and L. infantum is still underestimated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the infection rate by trypanosomatids in chiropterans captured in the city of Natal-RN. Ninety-five bats were collected together with Zoonosis Control Center (CCZ) of Natal between 2019 and 2020, 50 animals from passive capture in urban areas and 45 obtained from active capture, using fog nets, in an environmental preservation area (Parque das Dunas) in the municipality of Natal-RN. Animals were identified, euthanized, and fragments of liver, spleen and skin were collected, placed in 99.9% ethanol and stored at -20oC for DNA extraction. Initially, DNA was extracted and the Nested-PCR SSU-RNA 18S technique was used to detect trypanosomatids, later PCR for T. cruzi kDNA and PCR for HSP70 which detects the genus Leishmania were performed. The genus Artibeus was the most prevalent among the bats captured and had a Leishmania infection rate close to 100%. The total rate of infection by trypanosomatids, T. cruzi and Leishmania spp was 45.7% (27/59), 55.7% (53/95) and 76.6% (69/95), respectively. Co-infection between T. cruzi and Leishmania spp was observed in 41% (39/95) of the chiropterans. Animals captured in the environmental preservation area showed higher total infection rate (96%) than observed in bats captured in the urban environment (90%). Our results demonstrate a high rate of trypanosomatids infection in chiropterans captured in the city of Natal-RN.