Author ORCID Identifier:

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1022-2246

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Forbes, Kristian

Committee Member

Roberts, Caleb

Second Committee Member

Becker, Daniel

Third Committee Member

Duran, Sarah

Fourth Committee Member

Lunn, Tamika

Keywords

Bartonella; Bats; Chiroptera; Disease Ecology; Hemotropic Mycoplasmas; Kenya

Abstract

As the second most diverse mammalian order, bats host an array of pathogens, some of which are known to infect humans. Synanthropic bats share spaces with humans, resulting in bat-borne pathogen exposure. While most bat-borne disease research has focused on viral pathogens, bats host numerous bacterial pathogens with zoonotic potential. By integrating a global meta-analysis with field studies in Sub-Saharan Africa, I characterize the structural attributes that facilitate shared interfaces, the bacterial pathogens present in synanthropic bats of rural Kenya, and the physiological and environmental dynamics influencing odds of infection in these synanthropic bats. Finally, I evaluate the clinical relevance of these pathogens through patient surveillance of high-risk groups. In Chapter I, a systematic literature review with meta-analyses, I identify building features associated with synanthropic bat and rodent occupation. The review, which included 213 articles, revealed the pervasiveness of bats and rodents in anthropogenic buildings and highlighted specific building features often associated with their occupation. Our meta-analyses, although limited by sample size, indicate that bats tend to be found in tall buildings made with finished materials and that there is a lack of comparative rodent studies on this topic. Future study is needed to inform how building design can be employed to reduce human contact with bats and rodents. In Chapter II, I characterize bacterial pathogens in common synanthropic bats and their ectoparasites in Kenya, where people are frequently exposed to bats. I screened 767 bats and found 17.9% Bartonella prevalence and 19.3% hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasma) prevalence. I found that Bartonella lineages displayed phylogenetic overlap between bat species and ectoparasites, suggesting pathogen sharing between species, while hemoplasma lineages corresponded strictly to host taxonomy. Notably, I found a hemoplasma in a heart-nosed bat (Cardioderma cor) that is closely related to a known human pathogen, demonstrating that synanthropic bats host bacteria of potential public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Chapter III, I investigated the associations between human occupancy of bat roost sites, physiological stress, and blood-borne pathogen infection status of the little free-tailed bat (Mops pumilus) in rural Kenya. By comparing hair cortisol concentration and bacterial infection status between bats roosting in buildings inhabited and uninhabited by humans, I found evidence that bats had comparable indices of physiological stress between roost types, but elevated odds of hemoplasma infections in human-occupied buildings. These findings suggest that infection risk associated with synanthropic roosting is not mediated by stress physiology, and that anthropogenic habitats may serve as hotspots for pathogen transmission. In Chapter IV, I present the results of a bacterial surveillance study where I screened human blood samples for hemoplasmas from patients with a history of bat contact and reported febrile illness symptoms. My analysis suggests that symptoms of joint pain and cough may be associated with bat exposure, but I did not detect hemoplasmas in any of the 266 patients. Continued surveillance and diagnostic investigations are especially important for patients with unknown disease etiology and close contact with wildlife, as early detection of zoonotic spillover in critical for containing new disease outbreaks.

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