TY - JOUR AU - Mateus, Jose AU - Gómez, Natalia AU - Herrera-Sepúlveda, María Teresa AU - Hidalgo, Marylin AU - Pérez-Torres, Jairo AU - Cuervo, Claudia PY - 2019/04/30 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Bats are a potential reservoir of pathogenic Leptospira species in Colombia JF - The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries JA - J Infect Dev Ctries VL - 13 IS - 04 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.3855/jidc.10642 UR - https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/32045371 SP - 278-283 AB - <p>Introduction: Bats have become an epidemiologically significant source of pathogenic microorganisms, such as leptospires, the causative agents of leptospirosis. However, little information exists about bats and their potential role as a reservoir of pathogenic <em>Leptospira </em>spp. in Colombia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of pathogenic <em>Leptospira</em> spp. in the kidneys of bats from the Caribbean region of Colombia deposited in the collection of mammals of the Museo Javeriano de Historia Natural (MPUJ-MAMM).</p><p>Methodology: DNA was extracted from twenty-six kidney samples from a total of 13 species of bats captured in Colombia. First, 16S ribosomal RNA conventional PCR was performed to detect the presence of <em>Leptospira</em> spp. Then, in samples that tested positive, LipL32 PCR was performed to detect pathogenic <em>Leptospira </em>spp. by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.</p><p>Results: The presence of <em>Leptospira</em> spp. was observed in 7/26 (26.9%) bats from the following 6 species: <em>Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina</em>, <em>Dermanura phaeotis</em>, <em>Uroderma bilobatum</em>, <em>Desmodus rotundus, </em>and<em> Lophostoma silvicolum, </em>and pathogenic <em>Leptospira</em> spp. were detected in 4/26 samples (15.4%).</p><p>Conclusions: This study suggests that bats present in the Caribbean region of Colombia could be potential reservoirs of pathogenic <em>Leptospira </em>spp<em>.</em></p> ER -