Neutralizing Antibodies from Convalescent Chikungunya Virus Patients Can Cross-Neutralize Mayaro and Una Viruses

Abstract

Most alphaviruses are mosquito-borne and can cause severe disease in domesticated animals and humans. The most notable recent outbreak in the Americas was the 2014 chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak affecting millions and producing disease highlighted by rash and arthralgia. Chikungunya virus is a member of the Semliki Forest (SF) serocomplex, and before its arrival in the Americas, two other member of the SF complex, Una (UNAV) and Mayaro (MAYV) viruses, were circulating in Central and South America. This study examined whether antibodies from convalescent CHIKV patients could cross-neutralize UNAV and MAYV. Considerable cross-neutralization of both viruses was observed, suggesting that exposure to CHIKV can produce antibodies that may mitigate infection with UNAV or MAYV. Understanding the impact of CHIKV exposure on population susceptibility to other emerging viruses may help predict outbreaks; moreover, identification of cross-reactive immune responses among alphaviruses may lead to the development of vaccines targeting multiple viruses.

Robustness of Serologic Investigations for Chikungunya and Mayaro Viruses following Coemergence

“…Cross-reactivities of antibodies thus require experimental assessments and cannot be foretold (7). Our results confirmed preliminary data indicating that PRNT is not immune to crossreactivity but that comparing CHIKV-and MAYV-specific PRNT titers provides robust results, allowing differentiation of both (14). Notably, unambiguous ELISA and PRNT interpretations may be difficult if a person was recently infected by both viruses, a scenario that we could not investigate in our study.…”

“…However, to what extent potential superinfection exclusion affects CHIKV, MAYV, and other alphaviruses is unclear. Recently, convalescent-phase sera from CHIKV-infected patients were found to crossneutralize MAYV and the antigenically related Una virus at low titers (14). There is evidence that preexisting CHIKV immunity can also cross-protect from other alphaviruses, including ONNV and the antigenically distant Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) (15)(16)(17).…”

Broad Antiviral Activity of Ginkgolic Acid against Chikungunya, Mayaro, Una, and Zika Viruses

“…Within the Alphavirus genus, 31 species of viruses have been identified and classified into 11 different complexes based on their antigenic characteristics [7,8]. According to this classification, CHIKV, Mayaro (MAYV) and Una (UNAV) have been grouped within the Selimki Forest antigenic complex [8].…”

“…Within the Alphavirus genus, 31 species of viruses have been identified and classified into 11 different complexes based on their antigenic characteristics [7,8]. According to this classification, CHIKV, Mayaro (MAYV) and Una (UNAV) have been grouped within the Selimki Forest antigenic complex [8]. Typically, these arthritogenic viral infections are associated with symptoms such as fever, headache, myalgia, retro-orbital pain, rash, joint pain and in some cases, limiting and long-lasting polyarthralgia [9,10].…”

A cross-reactive antibody protects against Ross River virus musculoskeletal disease despite rapid neutralization escape in mice

“…CHIKV vaccine candidates induce neutralizing antibody responses in humans and limit viral burden and disease in mice and non-human primates following challenge [8]. In addition to virus-specific protection, some mAbs against CHIKV or MAYV cross-neutralize related alphaviruses, and pre-existing immunity to CHIKV or RRV infection reduces clinical disease following challenge with MAYV or CHIKV, respectively [24][25][26][27][28]. We previously described mAbs against CHIKV that bind the E2 B domain and broadly neutralize multiple arthritogenic alphaviruses with a range of potencies [29].…”