Leptospira in Brazilian Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera): A Systematic Review

Abstract

Bats are a megadiverse clade with plural ecological functions, including their role as bacterial, viral and eukaryotic zoonotic pathogen reservoirs. This includes Leptospira, a bacterial genus that causes severe aetiologies in humans and animals. However, knowledge on the Bat–Leptopsira relationships and diversity lacks systematization, and its coverage is uncertain. This study reviewed the publications related to Leptospira infection in bats in the Brazilian territory. Eight studies published between 1976 and 2024 were recovered, conducted in 5 of the 27 federative units of the country. The studies tested a total of 1167 animals of 62 species plus 3 identifications to the level of genus, and one study citing ‘bats’, with 133 individuals of 28 species being positive (plus ‘bats’). Detection was performed using molecular methods (PCR and sequencing), serological tests (microagglutination) or a combination of both. The level of detail and quality of reporting varied significantly between studies. Our results indicate that studies on bat-borne Leptospira are yet to adequately cover bat fauna in Brazil both in terms of diversity and geographic distribution. More studies, with standardized methods for reporting the findings, combining serological and molecular methods, are necessary for a proper characterization of the epidemiological role of bats in Brazil. Summary: Eight studies on bat-borne Leptospira were retrieved for Brazil Studies cover about one-third of the known bat diversity for the country Studies present low geographic coverage and are skewed towards a small group of species.