Serologic Evidence of Mammarenaviruses among Wild Rodents in Brazil.

We screened blood samples from 560 wild rodents collected in southeastern Brazil for antibodies to a recombinant nucleoprotein (rN) of Junín virus. Six rodents were antibody positive (1.1%), demonstrating evidence of infection with mammarenaviruses in several species of Brazilian rodents.

Analysis of the nucleocapsid gene brings new insights to the classification of Sigmodontinae-borne hantaviruses.

Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are the causative agents of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in South America. Hantaviruses are currently classified into species based on the guidelines provided by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. However, a new taxonomic system was proposed recently to classify Sigmodontinae-borne hantaviruses, which are divided currently into three phylogenetic clades corresponding to Andes, Laguna Negra, and Rio Mamore.

Detection of Herpesvirus, Enterovirus, and Arbovirus infection in patients with suspected central nervous system viral infection in the Western Brazilian Amazon.

Acute infections of the central nervous system (CNS) can be caused by various pathogens. In this study, the presence of herpesviruses (HHV), enteroviruses (EVs), and arboviruses were investigated in CSF samples from 165 patients with suspected CNS viral infection through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcriptase PCR. The genomes of one or more viral agents were detected in 29.

Mechanisms of shock in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Purpose Of Review: Despite abundant literature on hantavirus, few reports have focused on the shock in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This review approaches recent advances that allow us to better understand the pathogenesis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome shock.

Recent Findings: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has been studied in a hamster model that mimics human shock and respiratory failure.

[Dengue: sero-epidemiological survey and virological surveillance in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil].

The epidemiology of dengue in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, was studied in 1998 using a randomized sero-epidemiological survey. Epidemiological surveillance data from 1996-2003 were also analyzed, with an emphasis on virological surveillance. 1,260 individuals participated in the survey and had blood samples drawn by finger stick on filter paper.

Multiplex nested PCR for Brazilian Alphavirus diagnosis.

A reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and a multiplex nested PCR were developed for the rapid detection and identification of 14 Brazilian alphaviruses. Using Alphavirus genus-specific primers in a RT-PCR, we obtained amplified products of 434 bp. Species-specific primers were selected and simultaneously tested in a multiplex nested PCR.

PCR with the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by cytomegalovirus retinitis and immune recovery uveitis.

Purpose: To detect the cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome by PCR in the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by retinitis and immune recovery uveitis (IRU).

Methods: A PCR for CMV genome detection was carried out with the aqueous humor, vitreous and blood leukocytes of 54 patients with retinitis, including 25 HIV-infected patients presenting CMV retinitis in different stages (active lesion 6 cases, healed lesion 14 cases and IRU 5 cases), and 29 non-HIV-infected patients (retinitis unrelated to CMV) as negative controls.

Results: The CMV genome was detected in the vitreous, aqueous humor and blood leukocytes of 3 out of 6 HIV-infected patients, presenting active lesions in the retina.

Linear amplification followed by single primer polymerase chain reaction to amplify unknown DNA fragments: complete nucleotide sequence of Oropouche virus M RNA segment.

The whole nucleotide sequence of Oropouche virus medium (M) RNA, Orthobunyavirus genus, Bunyaviridae family, was obtained using a new genomic amplification method. This method is based on the use of a single and specific primer of high melting temperature in a linear amplification (LA), followed by a single primer polymerase chain reaction (LASP-PCR). The LASP-PCR was used to walk along the Oropouche M RNA completing the sequence in seven successive walks.

Diagnosis of Oropouche virus infection by RT-nested-PCR.

Using the RT-PCR with primers that anneal to the 5' and the 3' extremities of the genome segments of bunyaviruses and internal primers that anneal to the S segment of Simbu serogroup viruses in a nested PCR it was possible to amplify the Oropouche virus (ORO) genome from the sera of three patients. These results show that this RT-nested-PCR is a useful tool for rapid diagnosis of Oropouche fever infections.