MAYARO VIRUS: AN EMERGING ARBOVIROSIS IN BRAZIL?

Abstract

Arboviruses are currently recognized as a global public health problem. Among the main ones are the Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya viruses and we can also highlight the Mayaro virus, which is endemic in rural areas and forests of South America. This review aims to detect the presence of the Mayaro virus in Brazilian states, thus seeking to emphasize the risks of occurrence of these arboviruses in Brazil. The first report of infection by Mayaro occurred in 1954 in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and, from this discovery, it was possible to identify other occurrences in American countries. The occurrences in Brazil are concentrated in the North, Southeast, Midwest and Northeast regions and, recently, in the Southeast region. Many cases are believed to have been overlooked due to the similarity of symptoms to other arboviruses, mainly Chikungunya. Furthermore, climatic factors and human actions favor the proliferation and emergence of new vectors. Therefore, monitoring by specific molecular and serological methods is necessary to prevent incidents and possible complications.