Chikungunya Virus Exposure Partially Cross-Protects against Mayaro Virus Infection in Mice
Marcilio Jorge Fumagalli, William Marciel de Souza, Luiza Antunes de Castro-Jorge, Renan Villanova Homem de Carvalho, Ítalo de Araújo Castro, Luiz Gustavo Nogueira de Almeida, Silvio Roberto Consonni, Dario Simões Zamboni, Luiz Tadeu Moraes Figueiredo
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses have a worldwide impact, especially in tropical climates. Chikungunya virus has been present mostly in developing countries, causing millions of infections, while Mayaro virus, a close relative, has been limited to the Caribbean and tropical regions of Latin America. The potential emergence and spread of Mayaro virus to other high-risk areas have increased the scientific community's attention to an imminent worldwide epidemic. Here, we designed an experimental protocol of chikungunya and Mayaro virus mouse infection, which develops a measurable and quantifiable disease that allows us to make inferences about potential immunological effects during secondary virus infection. Our results demonstrate that previous chikungunya virus infection is able to reduce the severity of clinical outcomes during secondary Mayaro infection. We provide scientific understanding of immunological features during secondary infection with the closely related virus, thus assisting in better comprehending viral transmission and the pathological outcome of these diseases.