Identification of bat trypanosomes from Minas Gerais state, Brazil, based on 18S rDNA and Cathepsin-L-like targets.

Several bat species can be infected by trypanosomes, but there is not much information about which of these parasites infect bats from Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, a formerly endemic region for Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The aim of this study was to describe, characterize, and identify the presence of trypanosomes in bats. The captured bats (448) belong to four families and to 19 different species.

Leishmania infection in bats from a non-endemic region of Leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is a complex of zoonotic diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which can develop in domestic as well as wild animals and humans throughout the world. Currently, this disease is spreading in rural and urban areas of non-endemic regions in Brazil. Recently, bats have gained epidemiological significance in leishmaniasis due to its close relationship with human settlements.