Production of recombinant viral antigenic peptides and development of methods for serological diagnosis of infections by Chikungunya, Mayaro and Zika viruses

Abstract

Preliminary diagnosis of arboviral infections are usually based on clinical signs of the patient, as well as its travel history, however, sometimes are not correctly diagnosed due to similarity of symptoms developed by different viral species. Laboratory analysis promises greater reliability during viral infection diagnosis, which typically employs serum detection of specific antibodies against the presented virus in serum or cerebrospinal fluid. This research project proposes to develop diagnostic methods for emerging zoonotic arboviruses Chikungunya, Mayaro and Zika. Thus, it will be performed the production of recombinant E2 envelope proteins to Chikungunya and Mayaro virus, and domain III of E envelope protein to Zika virus.Considering that Chikungunya and Zika virus have just arrived in Brazil, and are already causing acute febrile illness outbreaks, with joint involvement and it is probably related with increase of microcephaly cases in newborns, furthermore, Mayaro virus is an endemic virus in Brazilian Amazon, which produces hundreds of infections of similar disease, which may become adapted to transmission by Aedes mosquitoes, and reach more populated areas of the country, we have here three serious public health problems. For this reason and observing the scarcity of diagnostic methods for these viruses, upon which the country has low experience and great susceptibility, we propose to develop recombinant peptides, which may be an important diagnostic tool that besides allowing the diagnosis of human infections Chikungunya, Mayaro and Zika viruses, will also allow further epidemiological studies.