Metagenomics enables the first detection of Trypanosoma sp. in Streblidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) parasitizing bats in São Paulo, Brazil

TL;DR

This study used metagenomics to detect Trypanosoma parasites in bat flies in São Paulo, Brazil, offering new insights into parasite transmission and surveillance.

Contribution

First detection of Trypanosoma sp. in Streblidae flies parasitizing bats in São Paulo using metagenomics.

Findings

Trypanosoma sequences were detected in Streblidae flies from Carollia perspicillata bats.

Phylogenetic analysis placed the sequences in the Neobat 4 clade, previously found in Carollia spp. bats.

The study expands the geographic distribution of the Neobat 4 clade in Brazil.

Abstract

Bats play important ecological roles but can also harbor a wide diversity of pathogens, including trypanosomatids. Knowledge about the circulation of Trypanosoma spp. in bat ectoparasites remains limited, particularly in peri-urban environments.

In this study, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to investigate the presence of Trypanosoma spp. in streblid flies parasitizing Carollia perspicillata bats collected in a peri-urban fragment of the Atlantic Forest in São Paulo, Brazil. A small, preliminary set of pooled samples was analyzed, followed by phylogenetic reconstruction.

Trypanosoma sequences were detected in flies from the family Streblidae. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these sequences cluster within the Neobat 4 clade, which has previously been reported in Carollia spp. bats. This represents the first detection of Trypanosoma sp. in streblid flies parasitizing bats in São Paulo.

Although the vector competence of streblid flies for Trypanosoma transmission is still unknown, their close ecological association with bats suggests that they may serve as a non-invasive tool for pathogen surveillance when direct bat sampling is limited. This study expands the known geographic distribution of the Neobat 4 clade and contributes to understanding parasite circulation among bats and their ectoparasites.

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