Comparison of manual and automated methods in the hematological evaluation of a frugivorous bat captured in urban green areas

Increasing and unplanned urbanization can intensify wildlife contact with humans and domestic animals, raising concerns about the spillover of zoonotic pathogens. Bats play a relevant ecological role due to their great niche diversity and wide distribution, and may act as reservoirs for various pathogens. Despite their importance, hematological values for non-hematophagous bats remain limited, hindering the assessment of their health and physiological responses. This study characterized hematological parameters and blood cell morphology in Artibeus planirostris captured in urban green areas of Cuiabá, Brazil, and evaluated agreement between automated and manual hematological methods. Blood samples from 24 bats were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer, microhematocrit, cyanmethemoglobin assay and blood smear microscopy for differential leukocyte counts, platelet estimation and morphological assessment. Erythrogram values were consistent with patterns previously reported in bats and may reflect physiological adaptations to flight metabolism. More than half of the individuals showed neutrophil predominance over lymphocytes; however, the influence of capture-related stress, infection and anesthetic effects could not be excluded. Bland-Altman and correlation analyses revealed variable agreement between automated and manual methodologies. Although some parameters showed good correlation, systematic biases and high variability indicated limited interchangeability between methods. These findings highlight the need for cautious interpretation of automated hematological analyses in bats and support the combined use of automated and manual approaches. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to improve method standardization and establish representative hematological reference data for bats in anthropized environments.