Salmonella and Shigella Infections in Bats in Selected Areas of Colombia
Summary
A total of 2,112 bats from six families and 29 species was collected at 33 different localities in the Departamento del Valle and similar areas in southwestern Colombia, S. A., during July and August 1964, and from August to December 1966. A specimen of feces for culture was taken from the lower portion of the large intestine or from the rectum of each bat. Four were positive for Salmonella, and one was positive for Shigella. Each of the four Salmonella isolates was of a different serotype (S. blockley, S. anatum, S. sandiego, and S. llandoff) and none has been reported previously in bats. The single Shigella isolation was S. boydii-2, which constitutes the first report of isolation of this organism from a bat.
Author Notes
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.