Bats can host pathogenic organisms such as viruses and fungi, but little is known about the pathogenicity of their parasites. Hemoparasites are frequently recorded in Neotropical bats, particularly Litomosoides (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae), but their pathogenic effect on bats is scarcely known. In this work, Litomosoides microfilariae were identified in four (8%) out of 51 sampled frugivorous bats belonging to three different species: Artibeus aztecus, Artibeus jamaicensis, and Artibeus lituratus, which are located in Yautepec, Morelos, Mexico. Two infected animals showed weakness, tachypnoea, and ecchymosis on their wings. In these animals, histopathology revealed microfilariae in the blood vessels of the lung, liver, and spleen. Both animals presented exudative pneumonia with congestion and concomitant edema, in addition to moderate arterial hypertrophy. Parasitemia was quantified in blood samples of the infected animals (>3000 parasites/mL). Phylogenetic analysis placed the obtained sequence inside the Litomosoides genus, reaching over 98% identity to the related species. Due to the relevance of bats in ecosystems, any new record of their parasite repertoire offers noteworthy insights into our understanding of the ecology and impact of new parasite species in bats.

A key step in the dynamics of vector-borne diseases is the role of seasonality. Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan that causes Chagas disease. Some wild mammals are considered natural hosts, yet not all mammals show the same response to infection. We explored the effect of T. cruzi on blood parameters in two mammal carnivores, coati (Nasua narica) and raccoon (Procyon lotor), that were naturally infected in summer and winter seasons. The study was carried out in the Zoological Park “Parque Museo de la Venta,” in Southeastern Mexico. Blood samples were collected in summer and winter from 2010 to 2013. Parasite infection was assessed by PCR from whole blood, and a complete hemogram was determined by traditional manual methods. We found that both species had the same T. cruzi I lineage. For coatis, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and monocytes were dependent of season, while eosinophils and plasma proteins were significantly different, but with no season effect. For raccoon, erythrocytes, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and monocytes were dependent of season. These results and a previous study that indicated interspecific differences in parasitemia in both species suggest that raccoon is a better reservoir than coati. Such a different interspecific response implies that animals do not contribute equally to maintain T. cruzi parasites in the ecosystem. Such inequality differs according to season.

Coatis (Nasua narica) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) potentially play an important role in zoonotic diseases because they may carry pathogens and can transmit them to humans. To date, our understanding of the immune function of these two carnivores is deficient. The aim of this study was to compare the number of leucocyte subtypes and the phagocytic capacity between the coati and the raccoon. Blood samples were collected, and leucocyte subtypes were characterized and counted by flow cytometry and microscopy, respectively. Phagocytosis was analysed by kinetic assay. Differences in leucocytes between these two species were found; the total count of neutrophils was higher in raccoons than in coatis, but lymphocytes and eosinophils were higher in coatis than in raccoons. Antigen reduction was more rapid for the coatis. However, raccoons had a higher efficient endocytic process than coatis. This study provides the basis for understanding the procyonid immune system, which informs conservation, particularly since some procyonids are imperilled.

Anim Reprod, vol.17, n1, e20190103, 2020