Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. in bat-associated macronyssid mites (Acari: Macronyssidae) from Southern and Southeastern Brazil.

Despite the worldwide occurrence and high genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in bats, few studies investigate their occurrence in bat-associated mites. To date, 26 species of Macronyssidae mite species have been reported from Brazil, and 15 of which were found parasitizing bats. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Bartonella DNA in bat-associated macronyssid mites from Brazil. For this purpose, 393 macronyssid specimens were selected by convenience from the tissue bank of the Acari Collection of the Instituto Butantan (IBSP). These mites were collected from 14 different bat species in three different Brazilian States (Minas Gerais, Paraná, and Rio de Janeiro). Out of 165 mites positive in the PCR for the endogenous 18S rRNA gene, only eight were positive in the qPCR for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene, and we were able to obtain two sequences base in this same gene, and one sequence based on the 16S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic inference based on the nuoG gene grouped the obtained sequences with Bartonella genotypes previously detected in bats and associated bat flies, while the phylogeny based on the 16S rRNA grouped the obtained sequence in the same clade of Bartonella genotypes previously detected in Dermanyssus gallinae. These findings suggest that macronyssid mites might be associated with the maintenance of bartonellae among bats.

Ecological drivers of sustained enzootic yellow fever virus transmission in Brazil, 2017-2021.

Beginning December 2016, sylvatic yellow fever (YF) outbreaks spread into southeastern Brazil, and Minas Gerais state experienced two sylvatic YF waves (2017 and 2018). Following these massive YF waves, we screened 187 free-living non-human primate (NHPs) carcasses collected throughout the state between January 2019 and June 2021 for YF virus (YFV) using RTqPCR. One sample belonging to a Callithrix, collected in June 2020, was positive for YFV. The viral strain belonged to the same lineage associated with 2017-2018 outbreaks, showing the continued enzootic circulation of YFV in the state. Next, using data from 781 NHPs carcasses collected in 2017-18, we used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify the spatiotemporal and host-level drivers of YFV infection and intensity (an estimation of genomic viral load in the liver of infected NHP). Our GAMMs explained 65% and 68% of variation in virus infection and intensity, respectively, and uncovered strong temporal and spatial patterns for YFV infection and intensity. NHP infection was higher in the eastern part of Minas Gerais state, where 2017-2018 outbreaks affecting humans and NHPs were concentrated. The odds of YFV infection were significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas than from urban-rural or rural areas, while infection intensity was significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas or the urban-rural interface relative to rural areas. Both YFV infection and intensity were higher during the warm/rainy season compared to the cold/dry season. The higher YFV intensity in NHPs in warm/rainy periods could be a result of higher exposure to vectors and/or higher virus titers in vectors during this time resulting in the delivery of a higher virus dose and higher viral replication levels within NHPs. Further studies are needed to better test this hypothesis and further compare the dynamics of YFV enzootic cycles between different seasons.

YELLOW ALERT: Persistent Yellow Fever Virus Circulation among Non-Human Primates in Urban Areas of Minas Gerais State, Brazil (2021-2023).

Yellow fever virus (YFV) is the agent of yellow fever (YF), which affects both humans and non-human primates (NHP). Neotropical NHP are highly susceptible to YFV and considered sentinels for YFV circulation. Brazil faced a significant YF outbreak in 2017-2018, with over 2000 human cases and 2000 epizootics cases, mainly in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This study aimed to investigate whether YFV circulation persisted in NHP after the human outbreak had subsided. To this end, NHP carcass samples collected in Minas Gerais from 2021 to 2023 were screened for YFV. RNA was extracted from tissue fragments and used in RT-qPCR targeting the YFV 5'UTR. Liver and lung samples from 166 animals were tested, and the detection of the ß-actin mRNA was used to ensure adequacy of RNA isolation. YFV RNA was detected in the liver of 18 NHP carcasses collected mainly from urban areas in 2021 and 2022. YFV positive NHP were mostly represented by Callithrix, from 5 out of the 12 grouped municipalities (mesoregions) in Minas Gerais state. These findings reveal the continued YFV circulation in NHP in urban areas of Minas Gerais during 2021 and 2022, with the attendant risk of re-establishing the urban YFV cycle.

Bats as hosts of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Minas Gerais, an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis.

Bats are parasitized by a wide spectrum of ecto and endoparasites, but their role as a reservoir for some zoonoses is not fully understood. The objective of this work was to evaluate the presence of Leishmania DNA in the blood of bats from 30 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We analyzed samples of 120 bats, covering 29 species. The blood samples were used for DNA extraction and submitted to conventional PCR analysis with primers directed to the Leishmania ITS-1 region of the rRNA. In total, 1.67% (2/120 samples) were positive for Leishmania spp., detected in animals from the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, the state capital. Sequencing of the positive samples revealed that both bats were infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Considering the adaptability of some bats species to synanthropic environments, the results of the present work can contribute to a better comprehension of the leishmaniasis cycle and epidemiology.

Global response of conservationists across mass media likely constrained bat persecution due to COVID-19.

Most people lack direct experience with wildlife and form their risk perception primarily on information provided by the media. The way the media frames news may substantially shape public risk perception, promoting or discouraging public tolerance towards wildlife. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bats were suggested as the most plausible reservoir of the virus, and this became a recurrent topic in media reports, potentially strengthening a negative view of this ecologically important group. We investigated how media framed bats and bat-associated diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing the content of 2651 online reports published across 26 countries, to understand how and how quickly worldwide media may have affected the perception of bats. We show that the overabundance of poorly contextualized reports on bat-associated diseases likely increased the persecution towards bats immediately after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the subsequent interventions of different conservation communication initiatives allowed pro-conservation messages to resonate across the global media, likely stemming an increase in bat persecution. Our results highlight the modus operandi of the global media regarding topical biodiversity issues, which has broad implications for species conservation. Knowing how the media acts is pivotal for anticipating the propagation of (mis)information and negative feelings towards wildlife. Working together with journalists by engaging in dialogue and exchanging experiences should be central in future conservation management.

First Case Report of Mange in Molossus molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) Caused by Notoedres (Notoedres) yunkeri (Sarcoptiformes: Sarcoptidae) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

There are many records of the family Sarcoptidae in bats. The species Notoedres (Notoedres) yunkeri has been reported only once, parasitizing a molossid bat in Panama. In the present study, we expand the occurrence of the species to Brazil.

Neighbor danger: Yellow fever virus epizootics in urban and urban-rural transition areas of Minas Gerais state, during 2017-2018 yellow fever outbreaks in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: From the end of 2016 until the beginning of 2019, Brazil faced a massive sylvatic yellow fever (YF) outbreak. The 2016-2019 YF epidemics affected densely populated areas, especially the Southeast region, causing thousands of deaths of humans and non-human primates (NHP). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a molecular investigation of yellow fever virus (YFV) RNA in 781 NHP carcasses collected in the urban, urban-rural interface, and rural areas of Minas Gerais state, from January 2017 to December 2018. Samples were analyzed according to the period of sampling, NHP genera, sampling areas, and sampling areas/NHP genera to compare the proportions of YFV-positive carcasses and the estimated YFV genomic loads. YFV infection was confirmed in 38.1% of NHP carcasses (including specimens of the genera Alouatta, Callicebus, Callithrix, and Sapajus), from the urban, urban-rural interface, and rural areas. YFV RNA detection was positively associated with epidemic periods (especially from December to March) and the rural environment. Higher median viral genomic loads (one million times) were estimated in carcasses collected in rural areas compared to urban ones. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results showed the wide occurrence of YF in Minas Gerais in epidemic and non-epidemic periods. According to the sylvatic pattern of YF, a gradient of viral dissemination from rural towards urban areas was observed. A high YF positivity was observed for NHP carcasses collected in urban areas with a widespread occurrence in 67 municipalities of Minas Gerais, including large urban centers. Although there was no documented case of urban/Aedes YFV transmission to humans in Brazil during the 2016-2019 outbreaks, YFV-infected NHP in urban areas with high infestation by Aedes aegypti poses risks for YFV urban/Aedes transmission and urbanization.