Researchers have uncovered a high prevalence and genetic diversity of the bacterial genus Bartonella in small mammals within the Qinghai Menyuan section of China’s Qilian Mountain National Park. Bartonella are vector-borne pathogens that can infect a wide range of mammals, including humans, and are considered emerging infectious agents. This comprehensive study sheds light on the complex ecology of these bacteria in the Qilian Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot, and highlights the potential public health implications. The findings provide valuable insights for understanding the transmission dynamics and evolution of Bartonella species in this unique high-altitude region.
Uncovering the Prevalence of Bartonella in Qilian Mountains
The researchers captured a total of 52 small mammals, including rodents and pikas, in the Qinghai Menyuan section of the Qilian Mountain National Park. Using advanced molecular techniques, they detected Bartonella in an astonishingly high proportion of the animals – 69.23% were positive for the pathogen. This prevalence was significantly higher than in other regions of Qinghai Province and many other parts of China, suggesting that the Qilian Mountains may be a hotspot for Bartonella infections in small mammals.
The researchers identified two Bartonella species in the small mammals: Bartonella grahamii and Bartonella heixiaziensis. Interestingly, B. grahamii was the dominant strain, accounting for 95.35% of the total Bartonella sequences detected. This species has been associated with human neuroretinitis, a severe eye infection, highlighting the potential public health significance of the findings.
Genetic Diversity and Evolutionary Patterns of Bartonella
Further analysis of the B. grahamii strains revealed high genetic diversity, with 19 different haplotypes (genetic variants) identified across the Qinghai Province. The researchers found that the genetic diversity of B. grahamii was particularly high in the Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, which includes the Qilian Mountains.
Interestingly, the B. grahamii sequences from the Qilian Mountains clustered into two distinct groups, one more closely related to strains isolated from Chinese and Japanese Apodemus rodents, and the other to strains from the local Click Here
