Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity
Arboviruses represent a global public health challenge. The lack of diagnostic protocols and the presence of asymptomatic infections complicate confirmatory diagnostics. Alphaviruses, such as the equine encephalitis viruses, can cause severe outbreaks and are usually misdiagnosed as dengue. Thus, ev...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1537019/full |
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| author | Andrea Valles-Morera Tatiana Murillo Jose Lizano-Bolaños Sergio Gutierrez-Roche Margarita Alvarado Jonathan Alfaro-Alvarado Gerardo Andrés Calvo-Salas Grace Prado-Hidalgo Johis Ortega Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar |
| author_facet | Andrea Valles-Morera Tatiana Murillo Jose Lizano-Bolaños Sergio Gutierrez-Roche Margarita Alvarado Jonathan Alfaro-Alvarado Gerardo Andrés Calvo-Salas Grace Prado-Hidalgo Johis Ortega Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar |
| author_sort | Andrea Valles-Morera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Arboviruses represent a global public health challenge. The lack of diagnostic protocols and the presence of asymptomatic infections complicate confirmatory diagnostics. Alphaviruses, such as the equine encephalitis viruses, can cause severe outbreaks and are usually misdiagnosed as dengue. Thus, evidence for their circulation was assessed here. Plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) was used to compare sera collected during 2022–2023 from an area with high dengue endemicity (Hone Creek) with another with low endemicity (Great Metropolitan Area, GMA) to elucidate the putative alphavirus circulation and determine whether there were differences between the two areas. The screening results of PRNT50% against the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and the Eastern equine encephalitis virus showed that 20.5% of sera collected from Hone Creek were positive for VEEV, with 15.4% (n = 40) showing real neutralizing titers. In the GMA, only 0.8% tested positive for VEEV during the screening, with only 0.3% (n = 1) showing a true neutralizing titer. No sample was positive for the Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Mayaro (MAYV) and one serum sample from Hone Creek was chikungunya positive. This study underscores the global health challenge posed by arboviruses with their similar clinical presentation and antibody cross-reactivity, particularly in tropical regions where flaviviruses and alphaviruses prevail and co-circulate. The comparison of PRNT results between high and low dengue-endemic areas in Costa Rica shed light on the potential circulation of the VEEV and the fact that there is no circulation of Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Mayaro yet. These findings indicate a higher prevalence of VEEV in the high-endemic area, emphasizing the importance of targeted surveillance, control measures, and better diagnostics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce658562a2664a8086a5dd204983fcee |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce658562a2664a8086a5dd204983fcee2025-08-20T02:43:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-02-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15370191537019Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicityAndrea Valles-Morera0Tatiana Murillo1Jose Lizano-Bolaños2Sergio Gutierrez-Roche3Margarita Alvarado4Jonathan Alfaro-Alvarado5Gerardo Andrés Calvo-Salas6Grace Prado-Hidalgo7Johis Ortega8Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar9Virology-Research Center for Tropical Diseases (CIET), Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaVirology-Research Center for Tropical Diseases (CIET), Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaVirology-Research Center for Tropical Diseases (CIET), Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaDepartment of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United StatesBlood Bank and Clinic Laboratory, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaBlood Bank and Clinic Laboratory, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaBlood Bank and Clinic Laboratory, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaTalamanca Healthcare Center, Costa Rican Social Security Fund, Limón, Costa RicaSchool of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United StatesVirology-Research Center for Tropical Diseases (CIET), Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa RicaArboviruses represent a global public health challenge. The lack of diagnostic protocols and the presence of asymptomatic infections complicate confirmatory diagnostics. Alphaviruses, such as the equine encephalitis viruses, can cause severe outbreaks and are usually misdiagnosed as dengue. Thus, evidence for their circulation was assessed here. Plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) was used to compare sera collected during 2022–2023 from an area with high dengue endemicity (Hone Creek) with another with low endemicity (Great Metropolitan Area, GMA) to elucidate the putative alphavirus circulation and determine whether there were differences between the two areas. The screening results of PRNT50% against the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and the Eastern equine encephalitis virus showed that 20.5% of sera collected from Hone Creek were positive for VEEV, with 15.4% (n = 40) showing real neutralizing titers. In the GMA, only 0.8% tested positive for VEEV during the screening, with only 0.3% (n = 1) showing a true neutralizing titer. No sample was positive for the Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Mayaro (MAYV) and one serum sample from Hone Creek was chikungunya positive. This study underscores the global health challenge posed by arboviruses with their similar clinical presentation and antibody cross-reactivity, particularly in tropical regions where flaviviruses and alphaviruses prevail and co-circulate. The comparison of PRNT results between high and low dengue-endemic areas in Costa Rica shed light on the potential circulation of the VEEV and the fact that there is no circulation of Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Mayaro yet. These findings indicate a higher prevalence of VEEV in the high-endemic area, emphasizing the importance of targeted surveillance, control measures, and better diagnostics.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1537019/fullarbovirusesalphavirusesserologyVenezuelan equine encephalitis virusneutralization |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Valles-Morera Tatiana Murillo Jose Lizano-Bolaños Sergio Gutierrez-Roche Margarita Alvarado Jonathan Alfaro-Alvarado Gerardo Andrés Calvo-Salas Grace Prado-Hidalgo Johis Ortega Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity Frontiers in Public Health arboviruses alphaviruses serology Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus neutralization |
| title | Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| title_full | Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| title_fullStr | Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| title_short | Exposure to non-endemic arboviruses (alphaviruses) in Costa Rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| title_sort | exposure to non endemic arboviruses alphaviruses in costa rica assessed from human samples collected in areas with contrasting levels of dengue endemicity |
| topic | arboviruses alphaviruses serology Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus neutralization |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1537019/full |
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