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Animals exhibit sociability behaviors and spatial use patterns that are important for species survival. Bats are animals that exhibit complex patterns of aggregation of individuals, which can vary according to sex and age. Aggregation can be explained by active or passive mechanisms. In this behavioural note, we report a group of female Artibeus lituratus in the reproductive stage that exhibits aggregation behavior supporting the active mechanism hypothesis. The females returned to the same roost, for two reproductive season, maintaining the aggregation with the same individuals with which the social bonds were already established.

Os animais exibem comportamentos de sociabilidade e padrões de uso espacial que são importantes para a sobrevivência das espécies. Os morcegos são animais que apresentam padrões complexos de agregação de indivíduos, que podem variar de acordo com o sexo e a idade. A agregação pode ser explicada por mecanismos ativos ou passivos. Nesta nota comportamental, relatamos um grupo de fêmeas de Artibeus lituratus em fase reprodutiva que exibe comportamento de agregação apoiando a hipótese do mecanismo ativo. As fêmeas retornaram ao mesmo poleiro, por duas estações reprodutivas, mantendo a agregação com os mesmos indivíduos com os quais os laços sociais já foram estabelecidos.

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Background: São Tomé and Príncipe oceanic islands, in Central West Africa, are characterised by exceptional levels of endemism. Since human colonisation in the mid-15th century, São Tomé and Príncipe have lost 74% and 67% of their native habitat, respectively. Today, these islands are mainly covered by remaining old-growth forests, secondary regrowth forests, shaded plantations (mostly of cocoa), oil palm plantations (in the case of São Tomé), small-scale agricultural areas and urban areas. Yet, little is known about how species on these islands are coping with land-use changes. Island ecosystems are particularly important for bats, with about 25% of the world's bat species being entirely restricted to island systems. São Tomé and Príncipe Islands comprise six and four native insectivorous bats, respectively. Two species, Chaerephontomensis and Macronycteristhomensis, are island-endemics in São Tomé; Pseudoromiciaprincipis is an island-endemic in Príncipe; and Miniopterusnewtoni is endemic from both São Tomé and Príncipe. Here, we present a dataset comprising a comprehensive compilation of occurrence records derived from acoustic sampling of insectivorous bats across the predominant land-use types of both the São Tomé and Príncipe Islands. In each sampling site, standardised surveys consisted of deploying one Audio Moth device that recorded for 1 minute every 5 minutes over a 48-hour period. We identified a total of 19,437 bat-passes across the 115 sites surveyed in São Tomé Island and 17,837 bat-passes across the 50 sites surveyed in Príncipe Island. New information: Based on a sampling effort of 1,584 hours of recordings manually processed to identify all the contained bat passes, this dataset, publicly available on GBIF, provides comprehensive information on the activity of insectivorous bats across two endemic-rich oceanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea. For each bat pass identified, we report the identified species, geographic coordinates, land-use type, altitude, date and time. This is the first public dataset providing detailed information on species-level habitat use for insectivorous bats on oceanic islands in Africa.

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Bats (Chiroptera), the second largest group of mammals, are known for their unique immune system and their ability to act as vectors for various zoonoses. Bats also act as important carriers of fungi, which include plant, animal, and human pathogens. Their roosting areas, foraging behaviors, and even migration routes make bats ideal vectors for fungi. We isolated 75 culturable fungal species from bats in Yunnan Province, China, with 36 species representing known pathogens of plants, animals, and humans, while 39 species are non-pathogenic fungi. Among these species, 77% (58 species) belonged to Ascomycota, 9% (seven species) belonged to Basidiomycota, and 13% (10 species) belonged to Mucoromycota. Even though several taxonomic studies on fungi associated with bats have been published, studies exploring the role of bats as fungal vectors are lacking. This study discusses the fungi host-specific traits and pathogenicity and the impact and ecological significance of bats as fungal vectors.

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We present a genome assembly from an individual male Vespertilio murinus (the particolored bat; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The genome sequence is 1,925.6 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 20 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.96 kilobases in length.

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Direct evidence of trophic interactions between extinct species is rarely available in the fossil record. Here, we describe fish-mammal associations from the middle Eocene of Messel (Germany), consisting of three specimens of holosteans (one Atractosteus messelensis (Lepisosteidae) and two Cyclurus kehreri (Amiidae)) each preserved with a bat specimen (Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon) lying in close contact with its jaws. This suggests that these fishes probably died after failed swallowing attempts, with the bat wing membrane entangled in their jaws resulting in a fatal handicap. Based on data from modern gars and bowfins, A. messelensis and C. kehreri may have opportunistically attacked drowning and dying individuals or scavenged on floating/sinking carcasses. This hypothesis is also supported by the unusually high number of bat specimens preserved in the deposits of the Eocene Lake Messel, suggesting that this group of small mammals may have represented a substantial food source for generalist feeders. This is the earliest case of chiropterophagy and the first known evidence of bat consumption by lepisosteid and amiid fishes, emphasizing the high trophic variability and adaptability of these groups throughout their evolutionary histories. The newly described associations provide important information for reconstructing the Eocene Lake Messel palaeoecosystem and its trophic web.

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Bartonella is a bacterial genus that comprises arthropod-borne microorganisms. Several Bartonella isolates have been detected from bats worldwide, which are thought to be undescribed species. We aimed to test the presence of Bartonella spp. among bats from Colombia, and evaluate the genetic diversity of bat-associated Bartonella spp. through phylogenetic analyses. A total of 108 bat blood samples were collected from three bat species (Carollia perspicillata, Mormoops megalophylla, and Natalus tumidirostris) that inhabit the Macaregua cave. The Bartonella ssrA gene was targeted through real-time and end-point PCR; additionally, the gltA and rpoB genes were detected by end-point PCR. All obtained amplicons were purified and bidirectionally sequenced for phylogenetic analysis using a concatenated supermatrix and a supertree approaches. A detection frequency of 49.1 % (53/108) for Bartonella spp. was evidenced among bat blood samples, of which 59.1 % (26/44), 54.3 % (19/35) and 27.6 % (8/29) were identified in Carollia perspicillata, Natalus tumidirostris and Mormoops megalophylla respectively. A total of 35 ssrA, 5 gltA and 4 rpoB good-quality sequences were obtained which were used for phylogenetic analysis. All obtained bat sequences clustered together with sequences obtained from Neotropical bat species into two bat-restricted clades namely clade A and clade N. We detected the presence of Bartonella spp. that clustered within two different bat-associated Bartonella clades, giving the first data of the genetic diversity of these bacteria among bats from Colombia.

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Previous studies on horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) have described many coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV (SARSCoVr) in China and only a few coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 (SARSCoV2r) in Yunnan (southern China), Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Here, we report the results of several field missions carried out in 2017, 2021 and 2022 across Vietnam during which 1218 horseshoe bats were sampled from 19 locations. Sarbecoviruses were detected in 11% of faecal RNA extracts, with much more positives among Rhinolophus thomasi (46%). We assembled 38 Sarbecovirus genomes, including 32 SARSCoVr, four SARSCoV2r, and two recombinants of SARSCoVr and SARSCoV2r (RecSar), one showing a Spike protein very similar to SARS-CoV-2. We detected a bat co-infected with four coronaviruses, including two sarbecoviruses. Our analyses revealed that Sarbecovirus genomes evolve in Vietnam under strong geographical and host constraints. First, we found evidence for a deep separation between viruses from northern Vietnam and those from central and southern Vietnam. Second, we detected only SARSCoVr in Rhinolophus thomasi, both SARSCoVr and SARSCoV2r in Rhinolophus affinis, and only RecSar in Rhinolophus pusillus captured close to the border with China. Third, the bias in favour of Uracil in synonymous third codon positions of SARSCoVr extracted from R. thomasi showed a negative correlation with latitudes. Our results also provided support for an emergence of SARS-CoV in horseshoe bats from northern Yunnan and emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in horseshoe bats from northern Indochina subtropical forests (southern Yunnan, northern Laos and north-western Vietnam).

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Bats harbor viruses that can cause severe disease and death in humans including filoviruses (e.g., Ebola virus), henipaviruses (e.g., Hendra virus), and coronaviruses (e.g., SARS-CoV). Bats often tolerate these viruses without noticeable adverse immunological effects or succumbing to disease. Previous studies have largely focused on the role of the bat's innate immune response to control viral pathogenesis, but little is known about bat adaptive immunity. A key component of adaptive immunity is the humoral response, comprised of antibodies that can specifically recognize viral antigens with high affinity. The antibody genes within the 1,400 known bat species are highly diverse, and these genetic differences help shape fundamental aspects of the antibody repertoire, including starting diversity and viral antigen recognition. Whether antibodies in bats protect, mediate viral clearance, and prevent transmission within bat populations is poorly defined. Furthermore, it is unclear how neutralizing activity and Fc-mediated effector functions contribute to bat immunity. Although bats have canonical Fc genes (e.g., mu, gamma, alpha, and epsilon), the copy number and sequences of their Fc genes differ from those of humans and mice. The function of bat antibodies targeting viral antigens has been speculated based on sequencing data and polyclonal sera, but functional and biochemical data of monoclonal antibodies are lacking. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of bat humoral immunity, including variation between species, their potential protective role(s) against viral transmission and replication, and address how these antibodies may contribute to population dynamics within bats communities. A deeper understanding of bat adaptive immunity will provide insight into immune control of transmission and replication for emerging viruses with the potential for zoonotic spillover.

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Recently, Yohe and Krell (The Anatomical Record, vol. 306:2765-2780) lamented the incongruence between genetics and morphology in the vomeronasal system of bats. Here, we studied 105 bat species from 19 families using histology, iodine-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and/or micro-CT. We focused on structural elements that support a functional peripheral vomeronasal receptor organ (vomeronasal organ [VNO]), together comprising the "vomeronasal complex." Our results support prior studies that describe a functional VNO in most phyllostomid bats, miniopterids, and some mormoopids (most known Pteronotus spp.). All of these species (or congeners, at least) have vomeronasal nerves connecting the VNO with the brain and some intact genes related to a functional VNO. However, some bats have VNOs that lack a neuroepithelium and yet still possess elements that aid VNO function, such as a "capsular" morphology of the vomeronasal cartilages (VNCs), and even large venous sinuses, which together facilitate a vasomotor pump mechanism that can draw fluid into the VNO. We also show that ostensibly functionless VNOs of some bats are developmentally associated with ganglionic masses, perhaps involved in endocrine pathways. Finally, we demonstrate that the capsular VNC articulates with the premaxilla or maxilla, and that these bones bear visible grooves denoting the location of the VNC. Since these paraseptal grooves are absent in bats that have simpler (bar-shaped or curved) VNCs, this trait could be useful in fossil studies. Variable retention of some but not all "functional" elements of the vomeronasal complex suggests diverse mechanisms of VNO loss among some bat lineages.

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We describe here the first characterization of the genome of the bat Pteronotus mexicanus, an endemic species of Mexico, as part of the Mexican Bat Genome Project which focuses on the characterization and assembly of the genomes of endemic bats in Mexico. The genome was assembled from a liver tissue sample of an adult male from Jalisco, Mexico provided by the Texas Tech University Museum tissue collection. The assembled genome size was 1.9 Gb. The assembly of the genome was fitted in a framework of 110,533 scaffolds and 1,659,535 contigs. The ecological importance of bats such as P. mexicanus, and their diverse ecological roles, underscores the value of having complete genomes in addressing information gaps and facing challenges regarding their function in ecosystems and their conservation.

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Research into various bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted between different animals and may have zoonotic potential has led to the discovery of different strains of Bartonella sp. in bats and their associated ectoparasites. Despite their enormous species diversity, only a few studies have focussed on the detection of bacterial pathogens in insectivorous bats of boreal forests and their associated Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites. We collected and molecularly analysed mite samples from forest-dwelling bat species distributed all along the boreal belt of the Palearctic, from Central Europe to Far East. Ectoparasitic mites were pooled for DNA extraction and DNA amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCRs) were conducted to detect the presence of various bacterial (Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella sp., Rickettsia sp., Mycoplasma sp.) and protozoal (Hepatozoon sp.) pathogens. Bartonella sp. DNA was detected in four different mite species (Macronyssidae: Steatonyssus periblepharus and Spinturnicidae: Spinturnix acuminata, Sp. myoti and Sp. mystacinus), with different prevalences of the targeted gene (gltA, 16-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer and ftsZ). Larger pools (>5 samples pooled) were more likely to harbour Bartonella sp. DNA, than smaller ones. In addition, cave-dwelling bat hosts and host generalist mite species are more associated with Bartonella spp. presence. Spinturnicidae mites may transmit several distinct Bartonella strains, which cluster phylogenetically close to Bartonella species known to cause diseases in humans and livestock. Mites with ubiquitous presence may facilitate the long-term maintenance (and even local recurrence) of Bartonella-infestations inside local bat populations, thus acting as continuous reservoirs for Bartonella spp in bats.

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Bats are natural hosts of a wide variety of viruses, including adenoviruses. European bats are known to carry mastadenoviruses categorized as species B (widespread in European Vespertilionidae bats) and whose taxonomy has not been clarified. We examined fecal samples from Vespertilionidae bats (five species) captured in central Russia and found that 2/12 (16%) were positive for mastadenoviruses. The partial genome of the mastadenovirus was assembled from Pipistrellus nathusii, representing the bat adenovirus species B. The complete genome (37,915 nt) of a novel mastadenovirus was assembled from Nyctalus noctula and named BatAdV/MOW15-Nn19/Quixote. Comparative studies showed significant divergence of the Quixote genome sequence from European bat mastadenoviruses, while the only known virus showing low similarity was the isolate WA3301 from an Australian bat, and together they formed a subclade that separated from other BatAdVs. Phylogenetic and comparative analysis of the protein-coding genes provided evidence that Quixote is related to a novel species within the genus Mastadenovirus, provisionally named "K" (as the next available letter for the species). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that some earlier viruses from Western European bats, for which only partial DNA polymerase genes are known, are most likely members of the tentatively named species "K". Thus, at least two species of mastadenovirus are circulating in bats throughout Europe, from western to eastern areas.

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Background: Western Asia represents a mixing pot of diverse bat species with distributions spanning across other geographic regions. Yet, relative to other regions, there is a significant gap in coordinated bat research in Western Asia, thereby resulting in a relatively limited number of curated occurrence records. New information: The Western Asia Bat Research Network (WAB-Net) project was created to strengthen research capacity and knowledge of the diversity and distribution of bat species in a little-studied region, as well as to collect data to characterise the diversity and prevalence of coronaviruses in diverse bat species. Over a four-year period (2018-2022), we documented 4,278 individual records for 41 bat species using a cross-sectional survey approach at 50 sites in seven Western Asian countries, specifically Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan and Turkiye. At each site, we captured, on average, 90 individual bats (range: 9-131) over multiple consecutive nights and used standardised methods to collect demographic and morphological data from captured individuals. We additionally completed a systematic evaluation of environmental characterisation and human-bat interactions at all 50 sites. Here, we report individual occurrence records and site conditions from this multi-country, multi-year sampling effort.

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Heavy metals are an important group of toxic substances harmful for many organisms. Of these, mercury is one of the most monitored in the environment. Several matrices are used for the monitoring of environmental load, including a range of organisms; bats, however, have only been examined rarely. Insectivorous bats are apex predators threatened by several human interventions in their natural environment, including heavy metal pollution. The aim of this study was to analyze the content of total mercury in the fur, flight membrane, and pectoral muscle of greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis). Total mercury concentrations were also measured in carabid beetles from the catch locality Zastávka u Brna. Samples were obtained from 43 bat carcasses at two different localities in the Czech Republic (Zastávka u Brna, Malá Morávka). Total mercury content varied between 1.76-72.20 µg/g in fur, 0.04-0.14 µg/g in skin, and 0.05-0.20 µg/g in muscle. Total mercury values in the fur of some individuals from Malá Morávka exceeded the recognized toxicity limit. Furthermore, there was a significant difference (p < 0.001) in content of total mercury in fur between localities, and there was a clear effect of age on concentrations in fur, skin, and muscle, the concentrations being significantly correlated (fur and skin rs = 0.783; fur and muscle rs = 0.716; skin and muscle rs = 0.884). These findings confirm the usefulness of fur samples from living bats for biomonitoring mercury burden in the environment.

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Sleep is associated with many costs, but is also important to survival, with a lack of sleep impairing cognitive function and increasing mortality. Sleeping in groups could alleviate sleep-associated costs, or could introduce new costs if social sleeping disrupts sleep. Working with the Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), we aimed to: (1) describe sleep architecture, (2) assess how sleeping in groups affects sleep, and (3) quantify total sleep time and identify rapid eye movement (REM) sleep using behavioral indicators that complement physiological evidence of sleep. Twenty-five adult bats were captured in Panama and recorded sleeping in an artificial roost enclosure. Three bats were fitted with an electromyograph and accelerometer and video recorded sleeping alone in controlled laboratory settings. The remaining 22 bats were assigned to differing social configurations (alone, dyad, triad, and tetrad) and video recorded sleeping in an outdoor flight cage. We found that sleep was highly variable among individuals (ranging from 2 h 53 min to 9 h 39 min over a 12-h period). Although we did not detect statistically significant effects and our sample size was limited, preliminary trends suggest that male bats may sleep longer than females, and individuals sleeping in groups may sleep longer than individuals sleeping alone. We also found a high correspondence between total sleep time quantified visually and quantified using actigraphy (with a 2-min immobility threshold) and identified physiological correlates of behaviorally-defined REM. These results serve as a starting point for future work on the ecology and evolution of sleep in bats and other wild mammals.

Dormir está asociado con muchos costos, pero también es importante para la supervivencia, ya que la falta de sueño perjudica la función cognitiva y aumenta la mortalidad. Dormir en grupos podría disminuir los costos asociados con el sueño o podría introducir nuevos costos si este descanso grupal interrumpe el sueño. Trabajando con el murciélago frugívoro jamaicano (A. jamaicensis), nos propusimos: (1) describir la arquitectura del sueño, (2) evaluar cómo dormir en grupos afecta el sueño y (3) cuantificar el tiempo total de sueño e identificar el sueño REM empleando indicadores de comportamiento que complementen la evidencia fisiológica del sueño. Se capturaron 25 murciélagos adultos en Panamá y se les grabó durmiendo en un recinto artificial de descanso. A tres murciélagos se les equipó con un electromiógrafo y un acelerómetro y se les grabó en video durmiendo solos en entornos de laboratorio controlados. Los 22 murciélagos restantes fueron asignados a diferentes configuraciones sociales (solo, díada, tríada, tétrada) y se grabaron en video durmiendo en una jaula de vuelo al aire libre. El sueño fue muy variable entre individuos (desde 2 h 53 min hasta 9 h 39 min durante un período de 12 h). Aunque no detectamos efectos estadísticamente significativos, y nuestro tamaño muestral fue limitado, las tendencias preliminares sugieren que los murciélagos macho pueden dormir más que las hembras, y que los individuos que duermen en grupos pueden dormir más que los individuos que duermen solos. Encontramos una alta correspondencia entre el tiempo total de sueño cuantificado visualmente y cuantificado mediante actigrafía (con un umbral de inmovilidad de 2 minutos) e identificamos correlaciones fisiológicas de lo que definimos como REM en términos de comportamiento. Estos resultados sirven como punto de partida para futuros estudios sobre la ecología y la evolución del sueño en murciélagos y otros mamíferos salvajes.

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Bats are the second most diverse order of mammals and play a central role in ecosystem dynamics. They are also important reservoirs of potentially zoonotic microorganisms, of which rabies virus is the most lethal among the bat-transmitted zoonotic pathogens. Importantly, recent outbreaks of human rabies have been reported from the Brazilian Amazon. Here we present a survey of bat species and rabies virus (RABV) circulation in a bat assemblage in the Marajó region, northern Brazil. Using data from mist-net captures and bioacoustic sampling, 56 bat species were recorded along the Jacundá River basin over a 10-day expedition in November 2022. For the investigation of RABV, we used the direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) and the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). In total, 159 bat individuals from 22 species were investigated for RABV. Five adults of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, showed RABV-specific antibodies in serum samples. Additionally, we report on local residents with injuries caused by D. rotundus bites and the occurrence of colonies of non-hematophagous bats from different species roosting inside human residences. This scenario raises concerns about the risks of new cases of human rabies and other zoonotic diseases associated with bats in the region and highlights the need for epidemiological surveillance and mitigation measures to prevent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.

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Bats are often associated with several zoonotic diseases, including helminth infections. Despite their potential detrimental effects on both human and bat populations, information on helminth parasites of Philippine bats remains scarce. Here, we identify gastrointestinal helminths parasitizing bats collected from a cave complex in Cavinti, Laguna Province, Philippines, determine their prevalence (P) and mean intensity (MI), and investigate relationship of helminth prevalence and intensity with bat host characteristics including sex, diet, age, and roosting habit. We isolated 581 individuals of helminths representing six taxa (three trematodes, two nematodes, one cestode) from the gastrointestinal tract of sampled bats. Helminths were observed in 82 out of 172 bats captured (P = 47.67%), with Miniopteruspaululus having the highest infection rate (P = 91.3%) and highest MI (18 ± 4.5/infected bat). Helminths parasitizing endemic bat species from the Philippines, such as Rhinolophus rufus, Rhinolophus inops, Hipposideros pygmaeus, and Ptenochirus jagori were reported here for the first time. We provide new host records for other helminth species and report the presence of two parasites, Plagiorchis sp. and Toxocara sp., known for their zoonotic potential. These data will contribute to efforts in identifying parasites and diseases harbored by bats in the country and develop additional conservation measures for bats.

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We present a genome assembly from a female Plecotus auritus (Brown Long-eared bat; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The genome sequence is 2163.2 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 16 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.91 kilobases in length.

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The distinct composition and immune response characteristics of bats' innate and adaptive immune systems, which enable them to serve as host of numerous serious zoonotic viruses without falling ill, differ substantially from those of other mammals, it have garnered significant attention. In this article, we offer a systematic review of the names, attributes, and functions of innate and adaptive immune cells & molecules across different bat species. This includes descriptions of the differences shown by research between 71 bat species in 10 families, as well as comparisons between bats and other mammals. Studies of the immune cells & molecules of different bat species are necessary to understand the unique antiviral immunity of bats. By providing comprehensive information on these unique immune responses, it is hoped that new insights will be provided for the study of co-evolutionary dynamics between viruses and the bat immune system, as well as human antiviral immunity.

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Although bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) act as natural reservoirs for many zoonotic pathogens around the world, few studies have investigated the occurrence of Anaplasmataceae agents in bats, especially vampire bats. The family Anaplasmataceae (order Rickettsiales) encompasses obligate intracellular bacteria of the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia, Neoehrlichia, Wolbachia, and Allocryptoplasma. The present study aimed to investigate, using molecular techniques, the presence of species of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Neorickettsia in vampire bats sampled in northern Brazil. Between 2017 and 2019, spleen samples were collected from vampire bats belonging to two species, Desmodus rotundus (n = 228) from the states of Pará (n = 207), Amazonas (n = 1), Roraima (n = 18) and Amapá (n = 3), and Diaemus youngii (n = 1) from Pará. Positivity rates of 5.2% (12/229), 3% (7/229), and 10.9% (25/229) were found in PCR assays for Anaplasma spp. (16S rRNA gene), Ehrlichia spp. (dsb gene) and Neorickettsia spp. (16S rRNA gene), respectively. The present study revealed, for the first time, the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. and different genotypes of Ehrlichia spp. in vampire bats from Brazil. While phylogenetic analyses based on the dsb and ftsZ genes of Ehrlichia and 16S rRNA of Anaplasma spp. revealed phylogenetic proximity of the genotypes detected in vampire bats with Anaplasmataceae agents associated with domestic ruminants, phylogenetic inferences based on the gltA and groEL genes evidenced the occurrence of genotypes apparently exclusive to bats. Neorickettsia sp. phylogenetically associated with N. risticii was also detected in vampire bats sampled in northern Brazil.