Serological and Molecular Evidence of the Circulation of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Subtype IIIA in Humans, Wild Vertebrates and Mosquitos in the Brazilian Amazon

Franko A Silva; Milene S Ferreira; Pedro A Araújo; Samir M M Casseb; Sandro P Silva; Joaquim P Nunes Neto; Jannifer O Chiang; José W Rosa Junior; Liliane L Chagas; Maria N O Freitas; Éder B Santos; Leonardo Hernández; Thito Paz; Pedro F C Vasconcelos; Lívia C Martins

doi:10.3390/v14112391

Serological and Molecular Evidence of the Circulation of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Subtype IIIA in Humans, Wild Vertebrates and Mosquitos in the Brazilian Amazon

Viruses. 2022 Oct 28;14(11):2391. doi: 10.3390/v14112391.

Authors

Franko A Silva^{1

2}, Milene S Ferreira¹, Pedro A Araújo¹, Samir M M Casseb¹, Sandro P Silva¹, Joaquim P Nunes Neto¹, Jannifer O Chiang¹, José W Rosa Junior¹, Liliane L Chagas¹, Maria N O Freitas¹, Éder B Santos¹, Leonardo Hernández¹, Thito Paz¹, Pedro F C Vasconcelos^{1

3}, Lívia C Martins^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Arbovirology and Haemorragic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil.
² Post-Graduation Program in Virology, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil.
³ Department of Pathology, Pará State University, Belém 66045-315, PA, Brazil.

Abstract

Understanding the interaction between viruses and ecosystems in areas with or without anthropic interference can contribute to the organization of public health services, as well as prevention and disease control. An arbovirus survey was conducted at Caxiuanã National Forest, Pará, Brazil, where 632 local residents, 338 vertebrates and 15,774 pools of hematophagous arthropods were investigated. Neutralization antibodies of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus, subtype IIIA, Mucambo virus (MUCV) were detected in 57.3% and 61.5% of humans and wild vertebrates, respectively; in addition, genomic fragments of MUCV were detected in pool of Uranotaenia (Ura.) geometrica. The obtained data suggest an enzootic circulation of MUCV in the area. Understanding the circulation of endemic and neglected arboviruses, such as MUCV, represents an important health problem for the local residents and for the people living in the nearby urban centers.

Keywords: Mucambo virus; arbovirus; metagenomic.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alphavirus*
Animals
Arboviruses*
Brazil / epidemiology
Culicidae*
Ecosystem
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine* / genetics
Humans
Vertebrates

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), MCTI/CNPq/FNDCT—Ação Transversal n68/2013 Programa de Grande Escala da Biosfera-Atmosfera na Amazônia (Process 457664/2013-4) to PFCV and Instituto Evandro Chagas SVS/MS. PFCV is also a fellow of the CNPq.