A Retrospective Survey of Rodent-borne Viruses in Rural Populations of Brazilian Amazon.

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.