title: First record of Leishmania braziliensis presence detected in bats, Mato Grosso do Sul, southwest Brazil.
abstract: Leishmaniasis, a zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, has expanded beyond its natural range and is becoming increasingly urban. Using PCR and PCR-RFLP, we detected Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis in two bats (Chiroptera) in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, an endemic area. This is the first record of L. (V.) braziliensis in bats. It is also the first record of any Leishmania sp. in bats in the state. The animals testing positive were found in both a rural site and an urban site. These results indicate the need for further research into the viability of Leishmania in bats and could potentially have implications for public health in Mato Grosso do Sul, given the large populations of urban bats, their mobility, and their ability to roost at close proximity to humans within residences and other buildings.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária s/n, 79090-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. Electronic address: julie.teresa.shapiro@post.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Julie Teresa
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Manoel Sebastião
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: da Costa Lima Junior
authors.forename: Maria Elizabeth Cavalheiros
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dorval
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Oliveira França
authors.forename: Maria de Fatima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Cepa Matos
authors.forename: Marcelo Oscar
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Bordignon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Glossophaga soricina; Leishmania braziliensis; Molossus molossus; Urbanization; Zoonoses