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Molecular characterization and prevalence assessment of Durettenema sp. (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) in the great leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros armiger) in South China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2025

Y. Hu ,
Y. Gan ,
Y. Chen ,
H. Wang ,
X. Cui ,
Y. Shen  and
X. Shen Open the ORCID record for X. Shen [Opens in a new window]
Y. Hu
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
Y. Gan
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
Y. Chen
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
H. Wang
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
X. Cui
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
Y. Shen
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
X. Shen*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China
*
Corresponding author: X. Shen; Email: xjshen@163.com
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Abstract

The viruses associated with bats have generated significant concern; however, there is limited knowledge regarding the endoparasites that affect these mammals. This study involved the collection of seven nematode specimens (three males and four females) from the intestines of Hipposideros armiger in Shaoguan City, Guangdong, China. Next-generation sequencing was employed to obtain the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome, which was determined to be 14,130 base pairs in length. The mitochondrial genome comprised 12 protein-coding genes, 21 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and an AT-rich non-coding region. Phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA sequences indicated that the nematode forms a sister clade to Nematodirus, exhibiting only 74% nucleotide identity. In contrast, the nuclear ITS1 gene demonstrated a high degree of nucleotide identity (98.6%–98.8%) with Durettenema guangdongense. Consequently, the parasitic nematode identified from H. armiger is likely to belong to the genus Durettenema and has been designated as Durettenema sp. 888. Furthermore, an epidemiological investigation revealed the presence of the parasitic nematode infections in H. armiger collected from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou Provinces. Given the widespread distribution of H. armiger and their tendency to inhabit areas in close proximity to human dwellings, the influence of parasite prevalence on bat population numbers and potential for human and domestic animal transmission of this pathogen warrants further investigation.

Keywords

Hipposideros armigernematodewildlife parasitologyDurettenemabat
Type
Research Paper
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 99 , 2025 , e41
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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