title: Leishmania (L.) mexicana infected bats in Mexico: novel potential reservoirs.
abstract: Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, an endemic zoonosis affecting a growing number of patients in the southeastern states of Mexico. Some foci are found in shade-grown cocoa and coffee plantations, or near perennial forests that provide rich breeding grounds for the sand fly vectors, but also harbor a variety of bat species that live off the abundant fruits provided by these shade-giving trees. The close proximity between sand flies and bats makes their interaction feasible, yet bats infected with Leishmania (L.) mexicana have not been reported. Here we analyzed 420 bats from six states of Mexico that had reported patients with leishmaniasis. Tissues of bats, including skin, heart, liver and/or spleen were screened by PCR for Leishmania (L.) mexicana DNA. We found that 41 bats (9.77%), belonging to 13 species, showed positive PCR results in various tissues. The infected tissues showed no evidence of macroscopic lesions. Of the infected bats, 12 species were frugivorous, insectivorous or nectarivorous, and only one species was sanguivorous (Desmodus rotundus), and most of them belonged to the family Phyllostomidae. The eco-region where most of the infected bats were caught is the Gulf Coastal Plain of Chiapas and Tabasco. Through experimental infections of two Tadarida brasiliensis bats in captivity, we show that this species can harbor viable, infective Leishmania (L.) mexicana parasites that are capable of infecting BALB/c mice. We conclude that various species of bats belonging to the family Phyllostomidae are possible reservoir hosts for Leishmania (L.) mexicana, if it can be shown that such bats are infective for the sand fly vector. Further studies are needed to determine how these bats become infected, how long the parasite remains viable inside these potential hosts and whether they are infective to sand flies to fully evaluate their impact on disease epidemiology.
authors: Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México.
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Berzunza-Cruz
authors: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors: Ángel
authors: Á
authors: Rodríguez-Moreno
authors: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Gutiérrez-Granados
authors: C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México; Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, México D.F., 14010, México.
authors: Constantino
authors: C
authors: González-Salazar
authors: C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México; Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors: Christopher R
authors: CR
authors: Stephens
authors: División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, México.
authors: Mircea
authors: M
authors: Hidalgo-Mihart
authors: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública-INSP, Tapachula, Chiapas, México.
authors: Carlos F
authors: CF
authors: Marina
authors: Laboratorio de Entomología Médica, Departamento de Zoología de Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de Los Garza, México.
authors: Eduardo A
authors: EA
authors: Rebollar-Téllez
authors: Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México.
authors: Dulce
authors: D
authors: Bailón-Martínez
authors: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors: Cristina Domingo
authors: CD
authors: Balcells
authors: Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
authors: Carlos N
authors: CN
authors: Ibarra-Cerdeña
authors: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: Sánchez-Cordero
authors: Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México.
authors: Ingeborg
authors: I
authors: Becker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000235:genetics; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
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