RESUMO
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.
Assuntos
Humanos , Animais , Masculino , Feminino , Lactente , Pré-Escolar , Criança , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Adulto Jovem , Arenaviridae/imunologia , Roedores/virologia , Reservatórios de Doenças/veterinária , Orthohepadnavirus/imunologia , Infecções por Arenaviridae/epidemiologia , Hepatite Viral Humana/epidemiologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Arenaviridae/classificação , Roedores/classificação , População Rural , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Brasil/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Orthohepadnavirus/classificação , Infecções por Arenaviridae/diagnóstico , Infecções por Arenaviridae/transmissão , Hepatite Viral Humana/diagnóstico , Hepatite Viral Humana/transmissão , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
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.