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 Leptospira 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 Leptospira infecting humans and bats in Villeta, Colombia, thirty partial available leptospiral 16S rRNA sequences from febrile patients (n = 13) and bats (n = 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 Leptospira lineages shared between bats and febrile patients. These findings provide molecular evidence suggesting a genetic relationship between Leptospira species identified from febrile patients and bats within a shared ecological interface in Colombia.