Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in the saliva of diverse neotropical bats

Bergner, L. M. , Becker, D. J., Tello, C., Carrera, J. E. and Streicker, D. G. (2021) Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in the saliva of diverse neotropical bats. Zoonoses and Public Health, 68(3), pp. 271-276. (doi: 10.1111/zph.12808) (PMID:33484236) (PMCID:PMC8569697)

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi is widely reported in bats, yet transmission routes remain unclear. We present evidence from metagenomic sequence data that T. cruzi occurs in the saliva of diverse Neotropical bats. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the bat‐associated T. cruzi sequences described here formed part of a bat‐specific clade, suggesting an independent transmission cycle. Our results highlight the value in repurposing metagenomic data generated for viral discovery to reveal insights into the biology of other parasites. Evaluating whether the presence of T. cruzi in the saliva of two hematophagous bat species represents an ecological route for zoonotic transmission of Chagas disease is an interesting avenue for future research.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Streicker, Professor Daniel and Bergner, Dr Laura
• Authors: Bergner, L. M., Becker, D. J., Tello, C., Carrera, J. E., and Streicker, D. G.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Zoonoses and Public Health
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1863-1959
• ISSN (Online): 1863-2378
• Published Online: 23 January 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Zoonoses and Public Health 68(3): 271-276
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
169793		Managing viral emergence at the interface of bats and livestock	Daniel Streicker	Wellcome Trust (WELLCOTR)	102507/Z/13/ZR	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine