A Retrospective Survey of Rodent-borne Viruses in Rural Populations of Brazilian Amazon

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The Amazon tropical rainforest has the most dense and diverse ecosystem worldwide. A few studies have addressed rodent-borne diseases as potential hazards to humans in this region. METHODS: A retrospective survey was conducted using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting mammarenavirus and orthohantavirus antibodies in 206 samples collected from rural settlers of the Brazilian Western Amazonian region. RESULTS: Six (2.91%) individuals in the age group of 16 to 36 years were found to possess antibodies against mammarenavirus. CONCLUSION: Evidence of previous exposure to mammarenavirus in the rural population points to its silent circulation in this region.

Estudo longitudinal da infecção por hantavirus em roedores silvestres no estado do Paraná / Longitudinal study of hantavirus rodent hosts in the state of Paraná

A Síndrome Cardio-Pulmonar por Hantavírus (SPH) é uma zoonose cuja emergência está relacionada a alterações ambientais que modificam os padrões de riqueza e abundância das espécies. Nestas situações, espécies de hábitos generalistas/oportunistas podem ser favorecidas, como é o caso das principais espécies de roedores hospedeiros de hantavírus no Brasil. [...] No Brasil, são conhecidos nove genótipos virais, sendo cinco associados a roedores e casos de SPH e quatro associados apenas a roedores hospedeiros. O Estado do Paraná é o 4º em número de casos de SPH no Brasil e o município de General Carneiro se localiza na região da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, região que concentra a maioria dos casos do Estado. Este trabalho teve como objetivos: (1) Caracterizar a fauna de pequenos mamíferos e determinar a taxa de infecção por hantavírus em roedores silvestres em quatro unidades de paisagem do Estado do Paraná; (2) realizar um estudo das populações de roedores silvestres e de sua infecção por hantavírus, no município de General Carneiro/PR, considerando os parâmetros populacionais, as variáveis de micro-habitat e a estrutura das comunidades, ao longo de dois anos. A identificação taxonômica foi baseada na análise cariotípica e, quando necessário, pela análise da morfologia craniana. Os espécimes infectados por hantavírus tiveram sua identificação específica confirmada por sequenciamento do gene Citocromo b. O diagnóstico de infecção por hantavírus foi realizado através de ensaio imunoenzimático ELISA, utilizando o antígeno Araraquara, e sequenciamento de DNA. O levantamento de espécies foi realizado em sete municípios do Estado do Paraná e o estudo temporal em General Carneiro foi realizado em seis áreas com diferentes graus de conservação...

Hantavirus cardio-pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a zoonosis whose emergence is associated tohabitat disturbance that alter diversity and abundance of natural communities, therebyfavoring generalist/opportunistic rodent species, as is the case of the main species ofhantavirus rodent hosts in Brazil. [...]Until now, there are nine known viralgenotypes in Brazil, five of them are associated with rodents and HPS cases, and theremaining are associated with rodent hosts only. The state of Paraná has one of the highestincidences of HPS in Brazil and the General Carneiro municipality is located in MixedOmbrophilous Forest, a biome with the highest incidence of HPS in Paraná. This studypurpose was (1) to conduct a survey of small mammals and their hantavirus infection in theState of Paraná, southern Brazil; (2) to analyze population dynamics, micro-habitatassociations and community structure of rodent hosts and hantavirus infection over a two-yearperiod in General Carneiro municipality. All species were identified by karyotyping or cranialmorphology/morphometry. Hantavirus antibody-positive specimens were confirmed bymolecular analysis (amplification of the cytochrome b gene). Serum and tissue samplesobtained from rodents were submitted to IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),using N-Araraquara hantavirus recombinant nucleocapsid protein, and DNA sequencing,respectively...

Detection of the first incidence of Akodon paranaensis naturally infected with the Jabora virus strain (Hantavirus) in Brazil

We characterised hantaviruses circulating in different Akodon rodent species collected in midwestern Santa Catarina (SC), southern Brazil, where the Jabora hantavirus (JABV) strain was first identified in Akodon montensis. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses based on a partial S segment indicated that, in SC, Akodon paranaensis and A. montensis carried the same type of hantavirus. Additionally, we conducted the first genomic characterisation of the complete S segment from the Brazilian JABV strain. This is the first report of A. paranaensis infected with the JABV.

Maintenance and breeding of Thrichomys (Trouessart, 1880) (Rodentia: Echimyidae) in captivity

South American histricognath rodents Thrichomys apereoides laurentius and Thrichomys pachyurus are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, agent of Chagas disease. We established breeding colonies of these species to serve as experimental models in various parasitological studies. Both species of Thrichomys have all the requirements necessary to become excellent laboratory models: they can be easily maintained in the standard laboratory conditions and breed throughout the year and they do not have any special dietary demands and can be fed by standard food pellets designed for laboratory mice. Both species produce precocious offspring that have their eyes and ears open, teeth erupted, fur well developed, and can eat solid food in the first week of life. T. a. laurentius has larger litter sizes and lower body masses at birth and weaning than T. pachyurus. Moreover, females of T. a. laurentius reach puberty earlier and with lower body mass than T. pachyurus.