title: Isolation of Salmonella Virchow from a fruit bat (Pteropus giganteus).
abstract: Detection of zoonotic pathogens carried by bats is important both for understanding disease ecology and for developing preventive measures. Pteropus fruit bats have been identified as potential carriers of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella Typhi and other Salmonella serotypes in Pteropus giganteus fruit bats in Bangladesh. Rectal swabs were collected from 302 bats and cultured for Salmonella species. The bats were trapped in three districts (Faridpur, Rajbari, and Cox's Bazar). Salmonella Typhi was not found but one juvenile female bat from Faridpur district was positive for Salmonella Virchow. Close associations between frugivorous bats, humans, and livestock in rural Bangladesh make it likely that the bat was infected by consuming contaminated water.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), 68, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh, islam_ausraf@icddrb.org.
authors.forename: Ausraful
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikolon
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikoleit
authors.forename: Dilruba
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Salah Udddin
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: M A Yushuf
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sharker
authors.forename: M Jahangir
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Ariful
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Nord
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeidner
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Luby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000302:isolation & purification