Molecular Detection of Microorganisms Associated with Small Mammals and Their Ectoparasites in Mali.

Small mammals are the natural reservoirs for many zoonotic pathogens. Using molecular tools, we assessed the prevalence of bacteria and protozoans in small mammals and their ectoparasites in Faladjè, Bougouni, and Bamoko, Mali. A total of 130 small mammals belonging to 10 different species were captured, of which 74 (56.9%) were infested by ectoparasites, including , , , sensu lato, and spp. nymphs. DNA of was found in 14/75 (18.7%), 6/48 (12.5%), and 3/7 (42.8%) small mammals from Faladjè, Bougouni, and Bamako, respectively. In Faladjè, DNA was detected in 31/68 (45.6%) of and 14/22 (63.6%) of . In Bougouni, it was found in 2/26 (7.7%) of and 10/42 (23.8%) of . The sequences of obtained from small mammals were close to those of , , and uncultured spp. In Faladjè, DNA was detected in 64.4% (29/45) of spp. ticks, 4.5% (2/44) of , 12.5% (1/8) of , and 1.5% (1/68) of . We found DNA of in from Faladjè and DNA of and in from Bougouni. The results of our study show that several small mammal species harbor and may serve as potential reservoirs of spp., likely to play a major role in the maintenance, circulation, and potential transmission of bacteria in Mali. The pathogenicity of these bacteria for humans or animals remains to be demonstrated.