Silent Orthohantavirus Circulation Among Humans and Small Mammals from Central Minas Gerais, Brazil

Carolina Dourado Amaral, Galileu Barbosa Costa, William Marciel de Souza, Pedro Augusto Alves, Iara Apolinário Borges, Aline Lavado Tolardo, Marília Farignoli Romeiro, Betânia Paiva Drumond, Jônatas Santos Abrahão, Erna Geessien Kroon, Adriano Pereira Paglia, Luiz Tadeu Moraes Figueiredo, Giliane de Souza Trindade

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

New World orthohantaviruses are emerging RNA viruses that cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). These viruses are a burden to public health around the world with a lethality rate of around 60%. In South America, rodents of Sigmodontinae subfamily are the main reservoirs of orthohantaviruses. We described a serosurvey for orthohantaviruses circulation in an apparently healthy human population and small mammals from rural areas in Central Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A total of 240 individuals and 50 small mammals (26 rodents belonging to 10 different species and 24 marsupials from 4 different species) were sampled during 2012–2013. The seroprevalence rates of IgG/IgM antibodies in humans were 7.1 and 1.6%, respectively. Only one rodent, an Oligoryzomys nigripes captured in peridomestic area, tested positive for IgG antibodies and viral RNA. Our findings suggest a silent circulation of orthohantaviruses in a region of intensive agriculture production. The detection of seropositive humans in an area with a lack of previous HCPS reports highlights potential oligosymptomatic cases and the need for surveillance strategies that could reduce the risk of future outbreaks.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)577-589
Number of pages13
JournalEcoHealth
Volume15
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Disease ecology
  • Ecoepidemiology
  • Juquitiba virus
  • Orthohantavirus
  • Rural population
  • Serosurvey
  • Small mammals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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