Prevalence and genetic diversity of rodent-associated Bartonella in Hulunbuir border regions, China.

ABSTRACT

Bartonella spp. are globally distributed gram-negative facultative intracellular bacteria that infect a wide range of hosts. Rodents are natural reservoirs of many Bartonella species, some of which are also pathogenic to humans. The rapid development of transportation and tourism has highlighted the risk of Bartonella transmission to humans. Thus, it is essential to maintain surveillance of Bartonella spp. infections in rodents. In China, Bartonella spp. infections have been monitored in various areas; however, these have not included the Hulunbuir border regions. In the present study, we monitored the prevalence and genetics of rodent-associated Bartonella spp. in the Hulunbuir border regions. Eleven rodent species were captured at five ports. Eight species were confirmed as Bartonella-positive using quantitative PCR assay, with an overall positivity rate of 20.05 %. Lasiopodomys brandtii was the predominant rodent species captured for Bartonella detection. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis (using the maximum likelihood method) revealed the presence of three Bartonella species in these rodents, including two pathogenic to humans, namely, Bartonella alsatica and Bartonella grahamii. B. grahamii was the predominant Bartonella species identified in the rodents. Taken together, these results highlight the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in rodents in the Hulunbuir border regions, indicating the need for risk assessment of human spillover.