Greater Mouse-Eared Bat: Vectors for Airborne Fungi

Shayan Ahmed, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Fungi and bats serve crucial ecological functions in many environments. Bats may help to increase the amount of airborne fungus in subterranean habitats, which can cause infections and allergies in mammals. The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) belongs to the group of European animals having frequent direct human interactions. Hibernating Mouse-Eared Bat increases the quantity of aeromycota in the subterranean location and serves as a vector and reservoir for microscopic fungus. The most often isolated species were Penicillium chrysogenum, Absidia glauca, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus tubingensis, Mortierella polycephala, Naganishia diffluens, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The concentration of airborne fungal propagules, the variety of fungal species, and the concentration of aeromycota all associate favourably with temperature, relative humidity, and the number of bats.

The majority of natural and anthropogenic subterranean habitats are heterotrophic. Subterranean ecosystems, in general, have highly specialised characteristics and are among the least favourable environments for mycobiota. This is mostly due to nutritional deficiency caused by a lack of light and primary production, as well as persistently low temperatures. Global climate change may influence subterranean ecosystems by raising their temperature. It may be expected that rising temperatures will cause changes in the bacterial and fungal populations that inhabit them, perhaps leading to the emergence of new pathogenic species. Therefore, it appears that monitoring subterranean habitats, particularly those inhabited by bats, is critical.

The Nietoperek bat reserve, located in the central sector of “Wysoka,” is Poland’s major bat hibernation location and one of the top ten in the European Union. In total, seven bat species were discovered in the Nietoperek bat reserve corridors: M. myotis, M. daubentonii, M. nattereri, M. dasycneme, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus, and an unidentified species. M. myotis was the most abundant species, accounting for 73.9% to 92.6% of all recorded bats. At the Nietoperek Bat Reserve in Poland, researchers examined the airborne culturable fungus associated with hibernating M. myotis.

In natural and artificial subterranean ecosystems across the world, the phylum Ascomycota dominates the fungal population, accounting for around 69% of all cultivated fungus. In the latest study, Penicillium spores were prevalent, and Penicillium chrysogenum was the most often isolated species. Cladosporium and Aspergillus are two of the most prevalent fungus found in both the outdoors and the indoors. Inside the Nietoperek bat reserve, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium macrocarpum were isolated. The most recent research revealed the existence of additional veterinary and therapeutically significant fungi, such as R. polycephala, Absidia glauca, Naganishia diffluens, and Mortierella mucilaginosa. Mucor genus including M. circinelloides, M. flavus, and M. fragilis, as well as Filobasidium magnum, were also discovered. The concentration of airborne fungal propagules in the research was strongly linked with the temperature and humidity of the air in the Nietoperek bat reserve.

The risk to visitors visiting the Nietoperek bat refuge is now very minimal, and no action is required. Increased tourism will result in a greater knowledge of bats and their significance in the environment and economy, as well as the role of hibernation in their protection. Aeromycological surveillance should continue in the future to guarantee safety.

Also read: A special chloroplast protein to combat environmental stress

Reference: Borzęcka, J., Piecuch, A., Kokurewicz, T., Lavoie, K. H., & Ogórek, R. (2021). Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis) Hibernating in the Nietoperek Bat Reserve (Poland) as a Vector of Airborne Culturable Fungi. Biology, 10(7), 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070593

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About the Author: Shayan Ahmed is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Microbiology from the Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. His area of research interest lies in antibiotic resistance and associated molecular mechanisms. His recent work was focused on understanding colistin resistance patterns in the environment, particularly in water bodies.