Prospecção de coronavírus humano e vírus da raiva em pequenos mamíferos silvestres, no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

The emergence of viruses is an important public health problem worldwide. Some animals, including wild mammals, play an important role in the maintenance and transmission of viruses and can act as hosts and natural reservoirs. Coronaviruses (CoVs) and rabies virus (RABV) belong to Coronaviridae, and Rhabdoviridae families, respectively. Viruses belonging to these two families have been isolated from wild and domestic animals. Coronaviruses are viruses that cause respiratory, enteric, hepatic and neurological disorders and are widely spread among humans and other mammals. Rabies virus causes progressive acute encephalitis in many mammals, including humans. In this context, the aim of this work was to perform a prospective study of human coronavirus and rabies virus in small wild mammals in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Small wild mammals were collected between the years 2012 and 2013. Rodents and marsupials came from the Campus Rio Pomba of Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sudeste de Minas Gerais and bats from Parque Estadual da Serra do Papagaio and Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora. Samples of liver, lung, kidney, and serum from these animals were subjected to RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. The real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed for human coronavirus investigation using cDNA obtained from 58 lung samples, 54 liver samples, 120 serum samples, and 18 kidney samples, For the investigation of rabies virus, qPCR was performed with cDNA derived from 58 lung samples, 120 serum samples, and 18 kidneys samples. In this study, 17 samples were positive (6,8%), out of 250 tested for human coronavirus HKU1, from twelve rodents (9,23%) and three bats (16,66%). None of the 196 samples tested were positive for RABV in qPCR. These results demonstrate for the first time, the circulation of HCoV-HKU1 in rodents and bats, such animals may be developing a role in the maintenance and emergence of these viruses in the state of Minas Gerais. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of animal species surveillance studies to understand the circulation, maintenance, and transmission of these viruses and their emerging potential.