New geographical and host records of bat fleas (Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae) in Russia.

To better understand the distribution and host-parasite relationships, we explored 12 large regions of Russia and recorded new bat fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae) for Dagestan, Bashkiria, Mordovia, Khakassia and Buryatia Republics. Also we curate previously known data and registered new host-parasite associations for species belonging to genus Ischnopsyllus (Ischnopsyllus octactenus and I. variabilis ex Pipistrellus pygmaeus, I. intermedius ex Hypsugo savii, I. variabilis ex Myotis dasycneme, I. hexactenus ex Murina hilgendorfi) and species Myodopsylla trisellis. One of the associations we recorded in Altai republic is particularly interesting (Myodopsylla trisellis ­ Myotis blythii). Further investigation is required to study vector role of bat fleas and the effects of flea parasitism on their natural hosts.

New findings of spinturnicid mites (Mesostigmata: Gamasina: Spinturnicidae) from the Caucasus.

The Caucasus is a large region in Eurasia consisting of four countries: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Although it is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, the bat ectoparasite fauna has been poorly studied. To promotionally fill in the gaps regarding bat ectoparasites, we conducted five field surveys on bats and their ectoparasites at nine localities within the region between April 2016 and March 2021. Eight species and subspecies of spinturnicid mites were recorded over the surveys: Eyndhovenia euryalis oudemansi, Spinturnix acuminata acuminata, S. emarginata, S. myoti, S. nobleti, S. plecotina, S. psi, and S. punctata. Among them, three species, Spinturnix emarginata, S. nobleti and S. punctate, are newly recorded from the Caucasus region, and one each of subspecies and species, Eyndhovenia euryalis oudemansi and S. plecotina, are newly recorded from Georgia. In addition, Myotis tschuliensis was recorded as a new host species of S. myoti.

New records of bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae), with an updated checklist of the nycteribiids of Russia.

We assembled a checklist by documenting and curating previously published data as well as previously unpublished records of bat flies from the Russian Federation. A total of 20 bat fly species are listed, belonging to 4 genera. Basilia mongolensis nudior Hurka, 1972 and Basilia nattereri (Kolenati, 1857) are recorded from Russia for the first time. The following new host associations are reported: Basilia mongolensis nudior ex Myotis nattereri (Kuhl), Basilia nattereri ex Eptesicus nilssonii (Keyserling Blasius), Basilia rybini Hurka, 1969 ex Myotis dasycneme (Boie) and Eptesicus nilssonii, and Nycteribia quasiocellata Theodor, 1966 ex Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus. We provide data on nine major Russian regions for which nycteribiid records were previously lacking.

Urinary shedding of leptospires in palearctic bats.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic infection of worldwide occurrence. Bats, like other mammalian reservoirs, may be long-term carriers that maintain endemicity of infection and shed viable leptospires in urine. Direct and/or indirect contact with these Leptospira shedders is the main risk factor as regards public health concern. However, knowledge about bat leptospirosis in the Palearctic Region, and in Europe in particular, is poor. We collected urine from 176 specimens of 11 bat species in the Czech Republic, Poland, Republic of Armenia and the Altai Region of Russia between 2014 and 2019. We extracted DNA from the urine samples to detect Leptospira spp. shedders using PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA and LipL32 genes. Four bat species (Barbastella barbastellus n = 1, Myotis bechsteinii n = 1, Myotis myotis n = 24 and Myotis nattereri n = 1) tested positive for Leptospira spp., with detected amplicons showing 100% genetic identity with pathogenic Leptospira interrogans. The site- and species-specific prevalence range was 0%-24.1% and 0%-20%, respectively. All bats sampled in the Republic of Armenia and Russia were negative. Given the circulation of pathogenic leptospires in strictly protected Palearctic bat species and their populations, non-invasive and non-lethal sampling of urine for molecular Leptospira spp. detection is recommended as a suitable surveillance and monitoring strategy. Moreover, our results should raise awareness of this potential disease risk among health professionals, veterinarians, chiropterologists and wildlife rescue workers handling bats, as well as speleologists and persons cleaning premises following bat infestation.

Active surveillance for antibodies confirms circulation of lyssaviruses in Palearctic bats.

BACKGROUND: Palearctic bats host a diversity of lyssaviruses, though not the classical rabies virus (RABV). As surveillance for bat rabies over the Palearctic area covering Central and Eastern Europe and Siberian regions of Russia has been irregular, we lack data on geographic and seasonal patterns of the infection. RESULTS: To address this, we undertook serological testing, using non-lethally sampled blood, on 1027 bats of 25 species in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Slovenia between 2014 and 2018. The indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected rabies virus anti-glycoprotein antibodies in 33 bats, giving an overall seroprevalence of 3.2%. Bat species exceeding the seroconversion threshold included Myotis blythii, Myotis gracilis, Myotis petax, Myotis myotis, Murina hilgendorfi, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Vespertilio murinus. While Myotis species (84.8%) and adult females (48.5%) dominated in seropositive bats, juveniles of both sexes showed no difference in seroprevalence. Higher numbers tested positive when sampled during the active season (10.5%), as compared with the hibernation period (0.9%). Bat rabies seroprevalence was significantly higher in natural habitats (4.0%) compared with synanthropic roosts (1.2%). Importantly, in 2018, we recorded 73.1% seroprevalence in a cave containing a M. blythii maternity colony in the Altai Krai of Russia. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of such "hotspots" of non-RABV lyssavirus circulation not only provides important information for public health protection, it can also guide research activities aimed at more in-depth bat rabies studies.

Conservation genetics of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) with special focus on the populations in northwestern Germany and in Jutland, Denmark.

Conservation genetics is important in the management of endangered species, helping to understand their connectivity and long-term viability, thus identifying populations of importance for conservation. The pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) is a rare species classified as "Near Threatened" with a wide but patchy Palearctic distribution. A total of 277 samples representing populations in Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Hungary, and Russia were used in the genetic analyses; 224 samples representing Denmark, Germany, and Russia were analyzed at 10 microsatellite loci; 241 samples representing all areas were analyzed using mitochondrial D-loop and cytochrome B sequences. A Bayesian clustering approach revealed two poorly resolved clusters, one representing the Danish and German groups and the other the Russian group. However, significantly different pairwise F ST and D EST estimates were observed between the Danish and German groups and between the Danish and Russian groups suggesting a recent population structure. These conflicting results might be attributed to the effect of migration or low resolution due to the number of microsatellite markers used. After concatenating the two mitochondrial sequences, analysis detected significant genetic differentiation between all populations, probably due to genetic drift combined with a founder event. The phylogenetic tree suggested a closer relationship between the Russian and Northern European populations compared to the Hungarian population, implying that the latter belongs to an older ancestral population. This was supported by the observed haplotype network and higher nucleotide diversity in this population. The genetic structuring observed in the Danish/German pond bat stresses the need for a cross-border management between the two countries. Further, the pronounced mtDNA structuring, together with the indicated migration between nearby populations suggest philopatric female behavior but male migration, emphasizes the importance of protecting suitable habitat mosaics to maintain a continuum of patches with dense pond bat populations across the species' distribution range.

White-nose syndrome detected in bats over an extensive area of Russia.

BACKGROUND: Spatiotemporal distribution patterns are important infectious disease epidemiological characteristics that improve our understanding of wild animal population health. The skin infection caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans emerged as a panzootic disease in bats of the northern hemisphere. However, the infection status of bats over an extensive geographic area of the Russian Federation has remained understudied. RESULTS: We examined bats at the geographic limits of bat hibernation in the Palearctic temperate zone and found bats with white-nose syndrome (WNS) on the European slopes of the Ural Mountains through the Western Siberian Plain, Central Siberia and on to the Far East. We identified the diagnostic symptoms of WNS based on histopathology in the Northern Ural region at 11° (about 1200 km) higher latitude than the current northern limit in the Nearctic. While body surface temperature differed between regions, bats at all study sites hibernated in very cold conditions averaging 3.6 °C. Each region also differed in P. destructans fungal load and the number of UV fluorescent skin lesions indicating skin damage intensity. Myotis bombinus, M. gracilis and Murina hilgendorfi were newly confirmed with histopathological symptoms of WNS. Prevalence of UV-documented WNS ranged between 16 and 76% in species of relevant sample size. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, the bat pathogen P. destructans is widely present in Russian hibernacula but infection remains at low intensity, despite the high exposure rate.

Hibernation temperature-dependent Pseudogymnoascus destructans infection intensity in Palearctic bats.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that is devastating to Nearctic bat populations but tolerated by Palearctic bats. Temperature is a factor known to be important for fungal growth and bat choice of hibernation. Here we investigated the effect of temperature on the pathogenic fungal growth in the wild across the Palearctic. We modelled body surface temperature of bats with respect to fungal infection intensity and disease severity and were able to relate this to the mean annual surface temperature at the site. Bats that hibernated at lower temperatures had less fungal growth and fewer skin lesions on their wings. Contrary to expectation derived from laboratory P. destructans culture experiments, natural infection intensity peaked between 5 and 6°C and decreased at warmer hibernating temperature. We made predictive maps based on bat species distributions, temperature and infection intensity and disease severity data to determine not only where P. destructans will be found but also where the infection will be invasive to bats across the Palearctic. Together these data highlight the mechanistic model of the interplay between environmental and biological factors, which determine progression in a wildlife disease.