Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China
Leptospirosis has been identified as a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the bacterial genus <i>Leptospira</i>. Rodents are considered the primary hosts of these bacteria, whereas many recent studies suggest that bats may serve as potential natural reservoirs. However,...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| author | Tian Yang Weihong Yang Guopeng Kuang Hong Pan Xi Han Lifen Yang Juan Wang Yun Feng |
| author_facet | Tian Yang Weihong Yang Guopeng Kuang Hong Pan Xi Han Lifen Yang Juan Wang Yun Feng |
| author_sort | Tian Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leptospirosis has been identified as a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the bacterial genus <i>Leptospira</i>. Rodents are considered the primary hosts of these bacteria, whereas many recent studies suggest that bats may serve as potential natural reservoirs. However, studies on pathogenic spirochetes hosted by bat populations still need to be completed in China. In this study, a total of 276 bats belonging to five genera collected in Yunnan Province (Southwest China) from 2017 to 2021 were included in the screening. Pathogenic spirochetes were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing targeting four genes (<i>rrs</i>, <i>secY</i>, <i>flaB,</i> and <i>LipL32</i>), resulting in 17 positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on multi-loci concatenated sequences, inferred by MLST approach, identified the strains as two novel <i>Leptospira</i> species within the pathogenic group. Of note, only <i>Rousettus leschenaultii</i> was found to harbor these spirochetes, suggesting it may be one of the potential natural reservoirs in circulating leptospires in this region. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis and transmission dynamics still need to be fully understood, requiring in-depth studies on other animals and the surrounding population. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:08:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee8cf7b295094acf9fc5448398ccaccb2023-11-18T11:44:23ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072023-06-01116161910.3390/microorganisms11061619Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, ChinaTian Yang0Weihong Yang1Guopeng Kuang2Hong Pan3Xi Han4Lifen Yang5Juan Wang6Yun Feng7School of Public Health, Dali University, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Dali University, Dali 671000, ChinaLeptospirosis has been identified as a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the bacterial genus <i>Leptospira</i>. Rodents are considered the primary hosts of these bacteria, whereas many recent studies suggest that bats may serve as potential natural reservoirs. However, studies on pathogenic spirochetes hosted by bat populations still need to be completed in China. In this study, a total of 276 bats belonging to five genera collected in Yunnan Province (Southwest China) from 2017 to 2021 were included in the screening. Pathogenic spirochetes were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing targeting four genes (<i>rrs</i>, <i>secY</i>, <i>flaB,</i> and <i>LipL32</i>), resulting in 17 positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on multi-loci concatenated sequences, inferred by MLST approach, identified the strains as two novel <i>Leptospira</i> species within the pathogenic group. Of note, only <i>Rousettus leschenaultii</i> was found to harbor these spirochetes, suggesting it may be one of the potential natural reservoirs in circulating leptospires in this region. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis and transmission dynamics still need to be fully understood, requiring in-depth studies on other animals and the surrounding population.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/6/1619leptospirosispathogenic <i>Leptospira</i>batszoonosisYunnan province |
| spellingShingle | Tian Yang Weihong Yang Guopeng Kuang Hong Pan Xi Han Lifen Yang Juan Wang Yun Feng Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China Microorganisms leptospirosis pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> bats zoonosis Yunnan province |
| title | Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China |
| title_full | Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China |
| title_short | Prevalence and Characteristics of Novel Pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> Species in Bats in Yunnan Province, China |
| title_sort | prevalence and characteristics of novel pathogenic i leptospira i species in bats in yunnan province china |
| topic | leptospirosis pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> bats zoonosis Yunnan province |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/6/1619 |
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