Phylogenetic evidence of possible zoonotic circulation of Leptospira species between human febrile patients and bats within a same interface

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic <i>Leptospira</i> spp., maintained by a wide range of animal reservoirs. In Colombia, it remains a major cause of acute undifferentiated febrile illness, yet the role of wildlife, particularly bats, in its transmission cycle is poorly understood. To investigate the relationship between <i>Leptospira</i> infecting humans and bats in Villeta, Colombia, thirty partial available leptospiral 16S rRNA sequences from febrile patients (<i>n</i> = 13) and bats (<i>n</i> = 17) were analyzed. Hierarchical clustering identified twelve groups (A-L), two (C and G) containing sequences from both hosts, showing 99-100% identity. Phylogenetic analysis placed these clusters within the P1 clade, forming distinct monophyletic groups separate from known species, suggesting <i>Leptospira</i> lineages shared between bats and febrile patients. These findings provide molecular evidence suggesting a genetic relationship between <i>Leptospira</i> species identified from febrile patients and bats within a shared ecological interface in Colombia.