Vampire bats in Belize harbor multiple <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> genotypes: implications for parasite transmission at the wildlife–domestic–human interface

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major public health concern in the Americas but remains neglected in many regions, including Central America. The parasite is typically transmitted by kissing bugs, but wild mammals also serve as important hosts. Vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are unique because they feed exclusively on blood and frequently bite livestock, and occasionally humans, creating opportunities for parasite transmission across different environments. In this study, we screened 205 vampire bats from northern Belize and found that over 40 % were infected with T. cruzi. By sequencing parasite DNA, we discovered a surprising diversity of DTUs, including TcI, TcIV, TcV, TcVI, and TcBat. The detection of TcVI is particularly important because this DTU, associated with human infections in South America, had not been previously reported in Belize. TcBat haplotypes were highly prevalent and genetically diverse. Our results show that vampire bats are import..., , # Data from: Vampire bats in Belize harbor multiple *Trypanosoma cruzi* genotypes: implications for parasite transmission at the wildlife–domestic–human interface Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96jz](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96jz) ## Description of the data and file structure The data CSV includes PCR positivity data for *Trypanosoma cruzi* derived from two genetic markers as well as metadata on sampled vampire bats in Belize. ### Files and variables #### File: Dunsmore_et_al_2026_PLOS_NTDs.csv **Description:** ##### Variables * BZID: unique identifier for each individual bat (character) * DI: unique identifier for each individual bat based on band number (character) * spec: 4-letter bat species code (DERO = *Desmodus rotundus*) * date: capture date (MM/DD/YYYY) * year: capture year (YYYY) * site: code for capture site (KK = Ka'Kabish, LAR = Lamanai Archeological Reserve) * sx: binary code for sex (M = male, F = female) * rp: code for reproductive status (N = non-re...,