Enteric Viruses and Bacterial Species from the Faecal Droppings of Bats in Selected Bat Colonies in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Pathogenic viruses and bacteria of bat origin causes a lot of diseases that often leads to epidemics and pandemics. Fruit bats were documented reservoir of many viral infections including COVID-19. This study was designed to detect the presence of some enteric viruses of gastroenteritis as well as bacterial species from Eidolon helvum bat species in Nigeria.

Methodology: Twenty-five samples were collected between January and March 2018, from six different locations in Ondo State, Nigeria. The samples were tested for the presence of Rotavirus and Adenovirus antigens using the CerTest Biotech 4th generation Quadruple Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) kit according to the manufacturers’ specification. The bacterial species were isolated by pour plating and identified using standard microbiological methodsand API kits.

Results: Throughout the period of this study, two samples (10%) were tested positive for both Norovirus and Adenovirus in bat fecal samples from Epinmin Akoko, Nigeria, while the isolated bacterial species from bats in Owo included Streptococcus Spp, Micrococcus Spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus Spp., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi, Echerichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Acinetobacter iwoffi, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter agglomerans and Proteus mirabillis

Conclusion: The isolation of these microbes are suggestive of infectious agents that can be of threat to public health and caution bush meat consumers from erratic consumption of unverified bush meat culinaries. The data obtained from this study is valuable for public health management as well as disease prevention and control.