Vaccinia Virus in Blood Samples of Humans, Domestic and Wild Mammals in Brazil

Abstract

Outbreaks of Vaccinia virus (VACV) affecting cattle and humans have been reported in Brazil in the last 15 years, but the origin of outbreaks remains unknown. Although VACV DNA have been already detected in mice (Mus musculus), opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and dogs during VACV zoonotic outbreaks, no transmission to cattle or humans from any of these were reported during Brazilian outbreaks. In this work, we assessed the PCR positivity to VACV in blood samples of cows and other domestic mammals, wild rodents and other wild mammals, and humans from areas with or without VACV infection reports. Our results show the detection of VACV DNA in blood samples of cows, horse and opossums, raising important questions about VACV spread.

Exposure of free‐ranging capybaras ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) to the vaccinia virus

“…The participation of capybaras in zoonosis transmission cycles as asymptomatic hosts and possible reservoirs have been reported (Valadas, Gennari, Yai, Rosypal, & Lindsay, ; Yai et al, ). The presence of the VACV in capybara blood and stool (Barbosa et al, ; Dutra et al, ) and in peridomestic rodents (Abrahão et al, ; Miranda et al, ; Peres et al, ) indicates that these animals may act as a source of the virus and serve as a link between wild and urban environments (Costa et al, ; Dutra et al, ; Oliveira et al, ). Virus transmission/circulation between different environments is favoured by the biological and behavioural characteristics of rodents, that is they are nocturnal, they live in overpopulated communities, and they practice coprophagia (Soetan, O'Connell, & Jones, ), which may have facilitated the VACV seropositivity found only in capybaras.…”

“…The hosts involved in the VACV transmission chain in Brazil are still poorly understood. However, recent discoveries have suggested the participation of synanthropic and wild rodents as well as several other wild animals in the natural transmission of the virus (Abrahão et al, ; Peres et al, , ). Recent studies involving rodents and marsupials corroborated that these animals serve as connectors between wild and urban environments and maintain the VACV in nature (Costa et al, ; Peres et al, , ).…”

“…As rodents have already been associated with VACV infections, they may contribute to VACV spread or transmission in nature via their excrement (Ferreira et al, ; Peres et al, ). Wild hosts that are exposed to mouse excrement could become infected, eventually shedding and resulting in the virus being horizontally transmitted.…”

Circulation of Vaccinia virus in Southern and Southeastern wildlife, Brazil

“…Samples were submitted for DNA extraction using the Illustra Tissue & Cells genomic Prep Mini Spin kit (GE Healthcare, Chicago, USA) in Instituto Adolfo Lutz and send to Laboratório de Vírus at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). To detect VACV DNA, we performed a semi‐nested PCR targeting the C11R gene (viral growth factor; vgf) and a real‐time PCR to A56R gene (hemagglutinin) has been used in genetic analyses for VACV differentiation (Kroon et al, 2016; Peres et al, 2018).…”

Here, There, and Everywhere: The Wide Host Range and Geographic Distribution of Zoonotic Orthopoxviruses

“…Consistent with its wide geographical occurrence in Brazil, VACV has been detected in different biomes and related fauna. VACV genomes and antibodies against orthopoxviruses have been detected in a broad range of animalsincluding non-human primates ( Sapajus apella and Alouatta caraya ) [ 193 ]; procynoides ( Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris, and, Nasua nasua ) [ 188 , 194 ]; cingulates ( Euphractus sexcintus ) [ 185 ]; marsupials ( Didelphis sp. and Caluromys philander ) [ 153 , 194 ]; bats ( Molossus rufus and Eumops perotis ) [ 185 ]; and wild rodents ( Oligoryzomys nigripes , Oligoryzomys flavescens , Sooretamys angouya , Calomys sp., Akodon sp., Necromys lasiurus , Necromys squamipes , Trinomys setosu , Cerradomys subflavus , Mus musculus , Rattus rattus, and Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) [ 153 , 180 , 185 , 195 , 196 ].…”