McKee, Clifton D;
Peel, Alison J;
Hayman, David TS;
Suu-Ire, Richard;
Ntiamoa-Baidu, Yaa;
Cunningham, Andrew A;
Wood, James LN;
... Kosoy, Michael Y; + view all
(2024)
Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain.
Parasitology
, 151
(7)
pp. 708-721.
10.1017/S0031182024000660.
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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 non-reproductive 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.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1017/S0031182024000660 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182024000660 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | Africa, Bartonella, bat flies, Chiroptera, endosymbionts, host–microbe interactions, Nycteribiidae, phylogeography |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10192555 |
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