Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, VOLUME 121 | 2026
Research Articles
Investigation of neurotropic arboviruses in wild and domestic animals in Amazon region, 2023-2024
1Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, PA, Brasil
2Agência de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado do Pará, Rondon do Pará, PA, Brasil
3Laboratório Central do Estado do Pará, Manaus, AM, Brasil
4Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, PE, Brasil
DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760250013
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ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Arboviruses represent a potential threat to global public health due to their ability to infect various vertebrate hosts and vectors, as well as their adaptability to diverse ecosystems, allowing them to expand geographically across continents.
OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to describe the molecular epidemiology of encephalitic arboviruses, including Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), Toscana virus (TOSV), and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in nervous tissue samples from domestic and wild animals from the Northern region of Brazil, between February 2023 and June 2024.
METHODS Samples negative for rabies virus were analysed by reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting Alphavirus, Orthoflavivirus and Phlebovirus species. Positive samples were subjected to viral isolation in cell culture and whole-genome sequencing using next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses were performed to characterise viral lineages and evolutionary relationships.
FINDINGS Two samples tested positive for arboviruses by RT-qPCR: one SLEV sample from the state of Amazonas, which showed a low viral load, preventing virus isolation and sequencing, and one Madariaga virus (MADV) sample from the state of Pará, which could be isolated and sequenced. The isolated agent belongs to lineage III of EEEV, showing most similarity to strains from Guyana and Argentina.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS The present study detected two arboviruses in animals, suggesting its circulation in the study area.
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Financial support: Instituto Evandro Chagas, CAPES (via Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia e Vigilância em Saúde).
DBAM and LMNC contributed equally to this work.
+ Corresponding author: danielemedeiros@iec.gov.br | 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3939-0611
Received 24 January 2025
Accepted 24 November 2025
HOW TO CITE
Hayashi DJ, Nunes BTD, da Silva SP, da Cunha TCAS, Paiva FAS, Prazeres ITE, et al. Investigation of neurotropic arboviruses in wild and domestic animals in Amazon region, 2023-2024. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2026; 121: e250013.
HANDLING EDITOR
Ana Carolina Paulo Vicente | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7086-2042
