Neglected arboviruses in South America: clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges

Abstract

In South America, the arboviruses that are most noted are those that lead to dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Nevertheless, there are additional arboviruses that trigger outbreaks, yet do not receive adequate attention, including Oropouche virus (OROV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), Saint Louis Encephalitis virus, Madariaga virus (MADV), and Rocío virus (ROCV). A rapid review was conducted using the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and Google Scholar. This analysis focused on studies that outline the clinical signs and diagnostic methods of neglected arboviruses impacting human populations in South America. A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most reports focused on OROV and MAYV, whereas only a few studies described MADV and ROCV. Brazil accounted for the largest proportion of studies, followed by Peru. Across the reviewed literature, these arboviruses were associated with a broad clinical spectrum, ranging from non-specific febrile illness to severe neurological disease and congenital complications. Diagnostic approaches included serological assays, viral isolation or neutralization tests, and molecular methods such as RT-PCR. The increasing spread of these under-reported arboviruses in South America requires strengthening monitoring systems, optimizing access to specific diagnostics, and training healthcare personnel to identify these infections early and manage them appropriately.

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Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{saavedrasamillan2026neglected,
  title = {{Neglected arboviruses in South America: clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges}},
  author = {Milagros Saavedra-Samillán and Sharon Díaz Velásquez and Marcos A Castillo Zuta and Julio Sandoval-Bances and Rafael Tapia-Limonchi and Stella M Chenet},
  journal = {Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1093/trstmh/trag095},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trag095},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Neglected arboviruses in South America: clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges
AU  - Milagros Saavedra-Samillán
AU  - Sharon Díaz Velásquez
AU  - Marcos A Castillo Zuta
AU  - Julio Sandoval-Bances
AU  - Rafael Tapia-Limonchi
AU  - Stella M Chenet
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/27
JO  - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
DO  - 10.1093/trstmh/trag095
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trag095
AB  - In South America, the arboviruses that are most noted are those that lead to dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Nevertheless, there are additional arboviruses that trigger outbreaks, yet do not receive adequate attention, including Oropouche virus (OROV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), Saint Louis Encephalitis virus, Madariaga virus (MADV), and Rocío virus (ROCV). A rapid review was conducted using the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and Google Scholar. This analysis focused on studies that outline the clinical signs and diagnostic methods of neglected arboviruses impacting human populations in South America. A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most reports focused on OROV and MAYV, whereas only a few studies described MADV and ROCV. Brazil accounted for the largest proportion of studies, followed by Peru. Across the reviewed literature, these arboviruses were associated with a broad clinical spectrum, ranging from non-specific febrile illness to severe neurological disease and congenital complications. Diagnostic approaches included serological assays, viral isolation or neutralization tests, and molecular methods such as RT-PCR. The increasing spread of these under-reported arboviruses in South America requires strengthening monitoring systems, optimizing access to specific diagnostics, and training healthcare personnel to identify these infections early and manage them appropriately.
SN  - 0035-9203
SN  - 1878-3503
ER  -

Abstract

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