Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain.
Loading...
Date
2024-05-24
Open Access Location
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Rights
(c) 2024 The Author/s
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Abstract
Few studies have examined the genetic population structure of vector-borne microparasites in wildlife, making it unclear how much these systems can reveal about the movement of their associated hosts. This study examined the complex host-vector-microbe interactions in a system of bats, wingless ectoparasitic bat flies (Nycteribiidae), vector-borne microparasitic bacteria (Bartonella), and bacterial endosymbionts of flies (Enterobacterales) across an island chain in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. Limited population structure was found in bat flies and Enterobacterales symbionts compared to that of their hosts. Significant isolation by distance was observed in the dissimilarity of Bartonella communities detected in flies from sampled populations of Eidolon helvum bats. These patterns indicate that, while genetic dispersal of bats between islands is limited, some nonreproductive movements may lead to the
dispersal of ectoparasites and associated microbes. This study deepens our knowledge of the phylogeography of African fruit bats, their ectoparasites, and associated bacteria. The results presented could inform models of pathogen transmission in these bat populations and increase our theoretical understanding of community ecology in host-microbe systems.
Description
Keywords
phylogeography, host-microbe interactions, endosymbionts, Bartonella, Chiroptera, bat flies, Nycteribiidae, Africa
Citation
McKee CD, Peel AJ, Hayman DTS, Suu-Ire R, Ntiamoa-Baidu Y, Cunningham AA, Wood JLN, Webb CT, Kosoy MY. (2024). Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain.. Parasitology. Accepted manuscript. (pp. 1-53).