Serological and molecular surveillance of viruses in captive and free-ranging neotropical primates from metropolitan areas of Brazil

• Grant number: 21/13611-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: July 27, 2022
• End date: July 17, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Edison Luiz Durigon
• Grantee: Camila Vieira Molina
• Supervisor: Jan Felix Drexler
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/01487-4 - Survey of respiratory viruses (Influenza, Paramyxovirus, Coronavirus and Bocavirus) in captive and wild nonhuman primates from metropolitan area of São Paulo city, BP.DR

Abstract

Brazil has the richest biodiversity of New World primate (NWP) in the Americas, many are endemic and nearly half (48%) with some degree of threat on the IUCN red list. Considering the One Health and the Anthropocene Age, one of the most worrying consequences is the Emergence and/or Reemergence of Infectious Diseases (EDIs and ReDIs). Thus, the metropolitan area of São Paulo is a clear example of the Anthropocene, and also, it is surrounded by Atlantic forest areas, and invaded by NWP that should not be living in urban areas. The risk of disease transmission between these NWP, the invasive and native, and humans are a concern. The present proposal is a serological and molecular surveillance to relevant pathogens that could be or are zoonotic agents, and may lead to outbreaks in humans: hepatitis and arbovirus. The samples were collected from wild animals captured in the wild (Callithrix spp. and Sapajus spp. - from SP; Leontopithecus chrysomelas - from RJ) and animals received in Rehab and Reception Centers in São Paulo city and nearby municipalities (Callithrix spp., Sapajus spp. and Alouatta guariba). The relevance of these viruses are not really known in wild NWP and the study could provide basic epidemiological data of those viruses in the NWP populations, detecting old or new viruses will expand the knowledge of genetic diversity and host range of viruses, also, could contribute to virus natural history. (AU)