Find in Library

Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp., which can be found in nature among domestic and wild animals. In Colombia, the Macaregua cave is known for its bat richness; thus, because bats are reservoir hosts of human microbiological pathogens, we determined if the Macaregua cave bats harbored <i>Leptospira</i> in the wild. A total of 85 kidney samples were collected from three bat species (<i>Carollia perspicillata</i>, <i>Mormoops megalophylla</i>, and <i>Natalus tumidirostris)</i> to detect <i>Leptospira</i> spp. The <i>16S rRNA</i> gene was targeted through conventional PCR and qPCR; in addition, the <i>LipL32</i> gene was detected using conventional PCR. Obtained amplicons were purified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. The <i>Leptospira</i> spp. <i>16S rRNA</i> gene was detected in 51.8% bat kidneys, of which 35 sequences were obtained, all clustering within the pathogenic group. Moreover, 11 sequences presented high-identity-values with <i>Leptospira</i><i>noguchii</i>, <i>Leptospira</i><i>alexanderi</i>, <i>Leptospira</i><i>borgpetersenii</i>, <i>Leptospira</i><i>kirschneri</i>, and <i>Leptospira</i><i>mayottensis</i>. From the <i>16S rRNA</i><i>Leptospira</i> spp.-positive population samples, 28 amplified for the <i>LipL32</i> gene, and 23 sequences clustered in five different phylogenetic groups. In conclusion, we detected the circulation of different groups of <i>Leptospira</i> spp. sequences among cave bats in the wild; some sequences were detected in more than one bat specimen from the same species, suggesting a conspecific transmission within the cave.