TY  - CONF
AU  - Werb, Oskar
AU  - Bajić, Branka
AU  - van Schaik, Jaap
AU  - Chumnandee, Chatree
AU  - Pha-obnga, Nawarat
AU  - Schaer, Juliane
PY  - 2022
UR  - http://radar.ibiss.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6688
AB  - Polychromophilus parasites infect bats in temperate as well as in tropical regions and are
phylogenetically close related to Plasmodium species of ungulates. The haemosporidian
parasites are vectored by ectoparasitic bat flies (Nycteribiidae) and five to seven
Polychromophilus morphospecies have been described to date.
Here we present data of Polychromophilus parasites of both temperate and tropical bat
species. Polychromophilus parasites in Palearctic (Serbian) bat flies and in blood samples
from bats in Thailand were investigated. Mitochondrial, apicoplast and nuclear genes
were analyzed for molecular characterization of the parasites.
The study provides the first information of Polychromophilus parasites in the lesser Asiatic
yellow bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) in Thailand, a common vespertilionid bat species distributed
in South and Southeast Asia. The gametocyte blood stages of the parasites could not be
assigned to a described morphospecies and the molecular analysis revealed that these
parasites might represent a distinct Polychromophilus species.
Further, Polychromophilus melanipherus infections were detected in different nycteribiid
bat fly genera collected from 216 bat individuals of the bat species Miniopterus
schreibersii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum in Serbia. A high prevalence of P.
melanipherus infections was recorded in the bat fly association Penicillidia/Miniopterus
(60%) and lower prevalences in Nycteribia/Miniopterus (15%) and
Phthiridium/Rhinolophus (1.5%). The nucleotide sequence comparisons of these parasites
revealed evidence of mixed infections with different P. melanipherus haplotypes.
Infections were detected in 7/9 sampling locations which points to a high transmission of
infections across Miniopterus bats and the bat flies in this region of Serbia.
The results of this study provide new insights into the distribution and phylogenetic
relationships of Polychromophilus parasites in bats and their nycteribiid vectors. The use
of bat flies to non-invasively investigate Polychromophilus infections in bat populations
has proven to be very efficient.
PB  - Bielefeld: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
C3  - Fifth International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites of Wildlife; 2022 Sep 5-8; Bielefeld, Germany
T1  - Molecular investigation of Polychromophilus parasites –data from infections in bat flies of Miniopterus bats in Serbia and in Scotophilus bats in Thailand
SP  - 82
UR  - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_6688
ER  - 

@conference{
author = "Werb, Oskar and Bajić, Branka and van Schaik, Jaap and Chumnandee, Chatree and Pha-obnga, Nawarat and Schaer, Juliane",
year = "2022",
abstract = "Polychromophilus parasites infect bats in temperate as well as in tropical regions and are
phylogenetically close related to Plasmodium species of ungulates. The haemosporidian
parasites are vectored by ectoparasitic bat flies (Nycteribiidae) and five to seven
Polychromophilus morphospecies have been described to date.
Here we present data of Polychromophilus parasites of both temperate and tropical bat
species. Polychromophilus parasites in Palearctic (Serbian) bat flies and in blood samples
from bats in Thailand were investigated. Mitochondrial, apicoplast and nuclear genes
were analyzed for molecular characterization of the parasites.
The study provides the first information of Polychromophilus parasites in the lesser Asiatic
yellow bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) in Thailand, a common vespertilionid bat species distributed
in South and Southeast Asia. The gametocyte blood stages of the parasites could not be
assigned to a described morphospecies and the molecular analysis revealed that these
parasites might represent a distinct Polychromophilus species.
Further, Polychromophilus melanipherus infections were detected in different nycteribiid
bat fly genera collected from 216 bat individuals of the bat species Miniopterus
schreibersii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum in Serbia. A high prevalence of P.
melanipherus infections was recorded in the bat fly association Penicillidia/Miniopterus
(60%) and lower prevalences in Nycteribia/Miniopterus (15%) and
Phthiridium/Rhinolophus (1.5%). The nucleotide sequence comparisons of these parasites
revealed evidence of mixed infections with different P. melanipherus haplotypes.
Infections were detected in 7/9 sampling locations which points to a high transmission of
infections across Miniopterus bats and the bat flies in this region of Serbia.
The results of this study provide new insights into the distribution and phylogenetic
relationships of Polychromophilus parasites in bats and their nycteribiid vectors. The use
of bat flies to non-invasively investigate Polychromophilus infections in bat populations
has proven to be very efficient.",
publisher = "Bielefeld: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft",
journal = "Fifth International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites of Wildlife; 2022 Sep 5-8; Bielefeld, Germany",
title = "Molecular investigation of Polychromophilus parasites –data from infections in bat flies of Miniopterus bats in Serbia and in Scotophilus bats in Thailand",
pages = "82",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_6688"
}

Werb, O., Bajić, B., van Schaik, J., Chumnandee, C., Pha-obnga, N.,& Schaer, J.. (2022). Molecular investigation of Polychromophilus parasites –data from infections in bat flies of Miniopterus bats in Serbia and in Scotophilus bats in Thailand. in Fifth International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites of Wildlife; 2022 Sep 5-8; Bielefeld, Germany
Bielefeld: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft., 82.
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_6688

Werb O, Bajić B, van Schaik J, Chumnandee C, Pha-obnga N, Schaer J. Molecular investigation of Polychromophilus parasites –data from infections in bat flies of Miniopterus bats in Serbia and in Scotophilus bats in Thailand. in Fifth International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites of Wildlife; 2022 Sep 5-8; Bielefeld, Germany. 2022;:82.
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_6688 .

Werb, Oskar, Bajić, Branka, van Schaik, Jaap, Chumnandee, Chatree, Pha-obnga, Nawarat, Schaer, Juliane, "Molecular investigation of Polychromophilus parasites –data from infections in bat flies of Miniopterus bats in Serbia and in Scotophilus bats in Thailand" in Fifth International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites of Wildlife; 2022 Sep 5-8; Bielefeld, Germany (2022):82,
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_6688 .