Relapsing fever <i>Borrelia puertoricensis</i> in migratory Mexican free-tailed bats, Oklahoma, USA, 2022–2023
We detected <i>Borrelia puertoricensis</i> in migratory Mexican free-tailed bats sampled in Oklahoma during 2022 and 2023, representing only the second detection of this relapsing fever species in wild vertebrates. Although prevalence was low (0.79%), our findings suggest migratory bats could contribute to dispersal of tick-borne pathogens in North America.
Authors
- Lauren R. Lock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1731-1235)
- Noha H. Youssef (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9159-3785)
- Mostafa S. Elshahed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1067-1647)
- Taylor B. Verrett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1812-3621)
- Kiersten Berdette Taylor
- Paul A. Lawson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0113-4751)
- Meagan Allira
- Bret Demory
- Beckett L. Olbrys (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5045-2378)
- Daniel Becker
- Selena Hernandez
- Kerry Clark
- Kristin Dyer
- Nakib Bhata
- Mackenzie Hightower
- Samuel Miller
Institutions
- Oklahoma State University (US)
- University of North Florida (US)
- University of Oklahoma (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2026-01-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.13.699129
- Primary Topic
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Research Corporation for Science Advancement
- University of Oklahoma
- Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation
- National Institutes of Health