From 2006 through 2014, we conducted seroepidemiological surveys on non-
human primates and
sloths to investigate the possible circulation of
arboviruses in Bahia Atlantic
Forest,
Brazil. We collected a total of 196 samples from 103
Leontopithecus chrysomelas, 7
Sapajus xanthosternos, 22 Bradypus torquatus and 7 Bradypus variegatus.
Serum samples were tested using
neutralization test and
hemagglutination inhibition test to detect total
antibodies against 26 different
arboviruses. The overall
prevalence of
arboviruses was 36.6% (51/139), with the genus
Flavivirus having the highest
prevalence (33.1%; 46/139), followed by
Phlebovirus (5.0%; 7/139),
Orthobunyavirus (4.3%; 6/139) and
Alphavirus (0.7%; 1/139). Monotypic reactions suggest that the
wild animals were exposed naturally to at least twelve
arboviruses. Added results from the
neutralization test,
animals were exposed to thirteen
arboviruses. Most of these
viruses are maintained in
transmission cycles independent of
human hosts, although
antibodies against
dengue virus serotypes 1, 2 and 3 were found in this study. To our
knowledge, this is the first study
reporting exposure to
arboviruses in L. chrysomelas, S. xanthosternos and B. torquatus. Our results also highlight that the Southern Bahia Atlantic
Forest has a variety of
vertebrate hosts and potential vectors, which may support the emergence or re-emergence of
arboviruses, including those pathogenic to
humans.