Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil, Grant no. 2017/09194-3 and no.
2015/04882-3. Coordenação de
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—
Finance Code 001. Brazilian National
Council for Scientific and Technological Development—Brazil
(CNPq)—PQ fellowship (Grant no. 306471/2017-5).University of Sao Paulo. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto. Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences. Laboratory of Virology. Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry. Memphis, TN, USA.The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry. Memphis, TN, USA.University of Sao Paulo. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto. Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences. Laboratory of Virology. Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.University of Sao Paulo. Ribeirao Preto Medical School. Virology Research Center. Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado. Manaus, AM, Brazil.Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado. Manaus, AM, Brazil / Universidade do Estado do Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brazil.Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado. Manaus, AM, Brazil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Leônidas and Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brazil.University of Sao Paulo. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto. Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences. Laboratory of Virology. Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a significant public health threat, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. More than 150 arboviruses can cause febrile illness following infection in humans. The Brazilian Amazon region has the highest number of arboviruses detected worldwide. In addition to arboviruses, malaria, caused by Plasmodium vivax, is endemic in the Amazon. Patients with malaria and arboviral disease frequently show similar clinical presentation and laboratory findings, making the diagnosis of the cause of the infection challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for viral infections in patients with suspected malaria but without Plasmodium infection in the Brazilian Amazon. We recruited 200 subjects with suspected malaria in Manaus, Brazil. First, we tested for arboviruses in serum samples from 124 of the 200 participants using an arbovirus DNA microarray platform, which did not detect any virus. Then, we mixed the serum samples of the other 76 participants in 10 pools and subjected them to next-generation sequencing. Analysis of the sequencing data revealed the presence of only one arbovirus (Zika virus) in one sample pool. This analysis also detected the presence of primate erythroparvovirus 1 and pegivirus C. These results suggest that arboviruses are not the most frequent viral infections in patients with suspected malaria but without Plasmodium infection in the metropolitan region of Manaus. Implementation of specific viral surveillance tests will help in the early detection of viruses with epidemic potential
