Plasma virome of 781 Brazilians with unexplained symptoms of arbovirus infection include a novel parvovirus and densovirus

PLoS One. 2020 Mar 5;15(3):e0229993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229993. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Plasma from patients with dengue-like symptoms was collected in 2013 to 2016 from the Brazilian states of Tocantins and Amapa. 781 samples testing negative for IgM against Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses and for flaviviruses, alphaviruses and enteroviruses RNA using RT-PCRs were analyzed using viral metagenomics. Viral particles-associated nucleic acids were enriched, randomly amplified, and deep sequenced in 102 mini-pools generating over 2 billion reads. Sequence data was analyzed for the presence of known and novel eukaryotic viral reads. Anelloviruses were detected in 80%, human pegivirus 1 in 19%, and parvovirus B19 in 17% of plasma pools. HIV and enteroviruses were detected in two pools each. Previously uncharacterized viral genomes were also identified, and their presence in single plasma samples confirmed by PCR. Chapparvovirus and ambidensovirus genomes, both in the Parvoviridae family, were partially characterized showing 33% and 34% identity in their NS1 sequences to their closest relative. Molecular surveillance using pre-existing plasma from febrile patients provides a readily scalable approach for the detection of novel, potentially emerging, viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arbovirus Infections / blood*
  • Brazil
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Densovirus / genetics*
  • Densovirus / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Metagenomics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Parvoviridae Infections / blood*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This study was partially supported by Vitalant Research Institute, an unrestricted research grant from Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc., FAPESP #2016/01735-2 and CNPq #400354/2016-0. Antonio Charlys da-Costa is funded by FAPESP #2017/00021-9. The specific roles of this author are articulated in the 'author contributions' section. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.