You may have heard of the Zika virus, but there’s another emerging threat lurking in the shadows: the Mayaro virus (MAYV). MAYV is a mosquito-borne virus found primarily in tropical regions of South America. It causes flu-like symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain, and muscle aches. MAYV is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites and has sparked concern due to its potential to cause outbreaks in new areas.
Unlike its better-known cousin, MAYV has quietly spread through mosquito populations, posing a potential epidemic risk as climate change alters global habitats. Now, researchers have enlisted the help of non-human primates to uncover crucial insights into how MAYV affects humans.
Researchers at BIOQUAL and Virginia Tech have pioneered a breakthrough by infecting cynomolgus macaques, a species of Old World monkeys native to Southeast Asia, with MAYV. These cynomolgus macaques, closely monitored in controlled settings, mimic human responses to MAYV infection. From fevers to immune responses, their experiences are providing invaluable clues that could lead to new vaccines and treatments.
Key Takeaways
In this study, researchers infected cynomolgus macaques with Mayaro virus to see how the infection progresses. They found that the way the virus spreads and affects the cynomolgus macaques closely resemble those observed in clinical cases in humans who get sick from Mayaro virus. During the infection, the cynomolgus macaques had low levels of certain white blood cells (leukopenia) when the virus was most active in their blood. The cynomolgus macaques also made antibodies that can neutralize the virus, and researchers could see the virus actively multiplying in their organs for over a month after infection.
The study also looked at different types of the Mayaro virus and found that each type causes the body to produce different kinds of inflammation signals (inflammatory cytokines). Understanding these differences could help in developing treatments to ease the joint pain and muscle soreness that often come with Mayaro virus infections in people.
These insights validate the use of cynomolgus macaques as a reliable model for Mayaro virus research and offer promising avenues for developing vaccines and therapies aimed at mitigating the impact of this emerging infectious disease on human health.
For more details, check out the latest issue of the Journal of General Virology and read the press release on the Microbiology Society website.
