A systematic review of molecular diagnostic methods for the detection of arboviruses in clinical specimens in Brazil and the importance of a differential diagnosis

Abstract

Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne viruses) compose a large group of zoonotic viruses that have complex cycles and often cause diseases in humans. This study was aimed at performing a systematic review of molecular diagnostic methods for the detection of arboviruses in clinical samples from Brazil to emphasize the importance of a differential diagnosis. Articles on arbovirus diagnostic methods were searched in databases using descriptors and selection criteria. A total of 19 articles were found that described techniques that may be used for the differential diagnosis of arboviruses. RT-PCR, nested RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR were the main methods. The samples were collected from the Brazilian Amazon and the state of São Paulo for the diagnosis of dengue, Oropouche fever, yellow fever, Saint Louis encephalitis and Mayaro virus disease. Classical diagnostic methods were rarely used. In addition, molecular methods are not yet fully standardized because several methods did not detect arboviruses. Furthermore, a diagnosis that is based only on clinical and epidemiological data would be premature. Therefore, new entomological research and new differential molecular methods should be performed for the possible isolation of these unknown viruses to contribute to the diagnosis of arboviruses. Thus, additional research should be conducted because these diseases are emerging and reemerging in several countries.

Detection of Oropouche virus segment S in patients and inCulex quinquefasciatus in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…Arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) are widely dispersed in sylvatic tropical areas around the globe. However, some of these viruses have the ability to maintain urban transmission cycles involving humans as susceptible hosts and highly anthropophilic vector species, such as dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), Chikungunya virus and Oropouche virus (OROV), producing large epidemics ( Moreli & Costa 2013 ).…”

Application of Aptamer-Based Assays to the Diagnosis of Arboviruses Important for Public Health in Brazil

“…Arboviral diagnosis is essentially a great challenge, whether in clinical examination or in laboratory assessment, due to the particular characteristics of each set of symptoms, which could be present or not, the similarities between one or more symptoms, and the phylogenetic cross-reaction in serological tests that often occur, especially in endemic regions [ 29 ].…”

Avaliação dos testes rápidos para diagnóstico da dengue no Brasil

“…Há descrição de reações filogenéticas cruzadas nos testes sorológicos, especialmente em áreas endêmicas onde pode ser confundida com a malária, febre amarela, mayaro, febre de Oropouche, zika e chikungunya 19,20,21 .…”