Authors

Discussion

Bats provide several ecosystem services, as well as hosting diverse parasites and pathogens which are of relevance to conservation and One Health. Emerging fungal diseases such as white-nose syndrome, caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can disrupt host immunity and potentially alter susceptibility to co-infections. However, interactions among fungal pathogens, ectoparasites, and haemoparasites remain poorly understood, particularly in tropical systems and at wildlife–human interfaces where anthropogenic pressures may reshape transmission dynamics.

We are conducting an ongoing disease ecology study in Cusuco National Park and the adjacent community of Buenos Aires, Honduras. This protected-area/community interface is characterised by ecotourism, livestock presence, and deforestation, creating opportunities for altered host condition, contact rates, and pathogen exchange. Free-ranging bats are sampled using mist nets and harp traps to assess body condition, ectoparasite burden, and infection status. Focal species include the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, of public and livestock health importance, and Bauerus dubiaquercus, a Near Threatened species highlighting conservation relevance.

Individuals are systematically examined for ectoparasites (bat flies, mites, ticks), screened for haemoparasites, including trypanosomes and haemosporidians, via blood samples and molecular methods, and assessed for fungal pathogens including P. destructans and cuticular fungi of the order Laboulbeniales. We test four hypotheses: (1) P. destructans infection is associated with altered ectoparasite intensity; (2) P. destructans infection is associated with altered susceptibility to haemoparasites, consistent with immune-mediated trade-offs; (3) ectoparasites can serve as surveillance tools for haemoparasite detection; and (4) Laboulbeniales infection is negatively associated with haemoparasite prevalence, suggesting a potential role in limiting pathogen transmission.

Sample processing and molecular screening are ongoing. Planned analyses will quantify parasite prevalence, co-infection patterns, and associations among fungal infection, ectoparasite burden, and haemoparasite status across the protected-area/community gradient, including assessment of whether haemoparasites can be detected in collected ectoparasites. We will use generalized linear mixed models to evaluate associations between fungal infection status, haemoparasite presence, ectoparasite intensity, and host body condition, accounting for species identity and sampling location. Co-infection networks will be constructed to characterise parasite community structure across the wildlife–human interface. This study will provide the first integrated assessment of fungal pathogens, ectoparasites, and haemoparasites in Neotropical bats at a protected-area/community interface, generating baseline data for long-term surveillance and informing One Health risk assessment in anthropogenically changing landscapes.