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Joe Cashmore
/ Categories: Incident Information, More incidents

Incident - Skin lesions in southern bent-winged bats - 2009

Nodular skin lesions were observed on the wings of critically endangered southern bent-winged bats (Miniopterus orianae bassani) in a breeding colony at Naracoorte, South Australia in September 2009. Approx. 50-60% of adults of an estimated population of 26,000 bats were affected. Similar skin lesions had been observed at lower prevalence in previous years.

Histological examination (McLelland et al, 2013) found the lesions to be granulomas with a nematode at the centre. The nematode was identified as Riouxgolvania beveridgei, which had previously been reported in the eastern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) (Bain and Chabaud, 1979). The lesions did not appear to have a significant impact on the affected bats or the population, although the reasons for the oubreak were not determined (McLelland et al, 2013).

References:
Bain O & Chabaud (1979) Sur les Muspiceidae (Nematoda-Dorylaimina). Anneles de Parasitologie Paris 54, 207-225.​
McLelland DJ et al (2013). Outbreak of skin nodules associated with Riouxgolvania beveridgei (Nematoda: Muspiceida) in the southern bentwing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii), South Australia. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 49(4), 1009-1013.

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