Clinical, Epidemiological, and Laboratory Features of Mayaro Virus Infection: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review: Mayaro virus is an arbovirus that circulates in a wild cycle transmitted by Haemagogus janthinomys; however, case reports in urban areas suggest that other arthropods could be acting as vectors. It shares several similarities with Chikungunya virus, being highly probable that many cases are being misdiagnosed. The disease caused by this pathogen is known as Mayaro fever, which is restricted to regions of Central and South America, mainly the Amazon rainforest. Cases of Mayaro fever have continuously been increasing, suggesting that Mayaro virus would become another major epidemic arbovirus in America. Recent Findings: Four electronic databases were searched for articles in English and Spanish using the keywords “Mayaro” and “case.” A total of 234 cases were retrieved in the 23 selected manuscripts. Of all cases, most of them were male young adults, reported as autochthonous cases occurring mainly in Peru and Brazil, who were performing activities in wild rural areas. Fever, arthralgia, headache, myalgia, and retro-orbital pain were the main clinical manifestations. Most of the patients had laboratory parameters within the normal range, joint complications were evidenced in few cases, and all of them recovered without specific treatment. Summary: Mayaro fever appears to be a mild self-limited disease that affects mainly males at productive age that are in contact with wild environments. However, further studies are required to establish its true pathogenic potential of Mayaro virus.