Molecular Characterization of Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. From Bats (Chiroptera) in the Northern Pantanal, Brazil

In this study, we conducted a molecular investigation of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in bat species captured in the northern region of the Pantanal biome, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Tissue samples were screened by qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Positive samples were subsequently subjected to conventional PCR assays targeting partial fragments of the 16S rRNA (~900 bp) and 23S rRNA (~800 bp) genes. Hemoplasma DNA was detected in four bat species: Glossophaga soricina, Molossops temminckii, Molossus rufus, and Desmodus rotundus. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that the detected hemoplasmas clustered predominantly with previously described bat-associated hemoplasmas from Brazil and other countries in the Americas. Notably, the detection in M. temminckii represents, to our knowledge, the first molecular evidence of hemotropic Mycoplasma infection in this bat species. These findings expand current knowledge regarding the occurrence, host range, and genetic diversity of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in bats from the Pantanal biome and contribute to wildlife surveillance efforts in this ecologically important region.