Blood microbiota between omnivorous and frugivorous bats. Characterizing the blood microbiota of omnivorous and frugivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Casanare, eastern Colombia

Bats are known reservoirs of seemingly-innocuous pathogenic microorganisms (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa). The taxonomic diversity of the bats’ microbiome is likely associated with species-specific phenotypic, metabolic, and immunogenic capacities. To date, few studies have described the diversity of bat blood microbial communities. Then, this study used amplicon-based Next Generation sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S-rRNA gene in blood samples from omnivorous (n =16) and frugivorous (n = 9) bats from the department of Casanare in eastern Colombia. We found the blood microbiota in bats composed of, among others, Bartonella and Mycoplasma bacterial genera. Furthermore, our results suggest that the feeding habits of bats may determine the composition and abundance of bacterial communities, mainly zoonotic, in their bloodstream. This study is among the first to describe the blood microbiota in bats, to reflect on co-infection rates of multiple pathogens in the same individual, and to consider the influence of diet as a factor affecting the bat’s endogenous microbial community.