Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Dec 2018)

Rodent-borne viruses survey in rural settlers from Central Brazil

  • Jorlan Fernandes,
  • Renata Carvalho de Oliveira,
  • Thayssa Alves Coelho,
  • Regina Maria Bringel Martins,
  • Karlla Antonieta Amorim Caetano,
  • Marco Aurélio Pereira Horta,
  • Silvana Levis,
  • Megmar Aparecida dos Santos Carneiro,
  • Sheila A Teles,
  • Elba Regina Sampaio de Lemos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760180448
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 114, no. 0

Abstract

Read online

Anthropogenic environmental changes arising from settlement and agriculture include deforestation and replacement of natural vegetation by crops providing opportunities for pathogen spillover from animals to humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of rodent-borne virus infections in seven rural settlements from Midwestern Brazil. Of the 466 individuals tested 12 (2.57%) were reactive for orthohantavirus and 3 (0.64%) for mammarenavirus. These rural settlers lived under unfavorable infrastructure, socioeconomic disadvantages, and unsanitary conditions, representing a risk for rodent-borne infections. Development of public policies towards the improvement of health, sanitation and awareness of rodent-borne diseases in improvised camps and settlements is imperative, in order to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by these diseases.

Keywords