Mayaro virus disease is a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen endemic to certain humid forests of tropical South America.

[7][8] The envelope lipid component is critical for virus particle stability and infectivity in mammalian cells[9] Once the virus enters into the host cell, the genomic RNA is released into the cytoplasm, where the two ORFs are translated into proteins and the synthesis of negative-stranded RNA starts.

[10] The MAYV infection is characterized by fever, headache, myalgia, rash, prominent pain in the large joints, and association with rheumatic disease,[11][12] but these signs and symptoms are unspecific to distinguish from other arboviruses.

[citation needed] On February 19, 2011, a Portuguese-language news source reported on a recent survey that revealed Mayaro virus activity in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil.

[16] The survey studied blood samples from 600 residents of Manaus who had experienced a high fever; Mayaro virus was identified in 33 cases.

Four of the cases experienced mild hemorrhagic (bleeding) symptoms, which had not previously been described in Mayaro virus disease.

The report stated that this outbreak is the first detected in a metropolitan setting, and expressed concern that the disease might be adapting to urban species of mosquito vectors, which would make it a risk for spreading within the country.

[citation needed] A study published in 1991 demonstrated that a colonized strain of Brazilian Aedes albopictus was capable of acquiring MAYV from infected hamsters and subsequently transmitting it,[17] and another study demonstrated that A. aegypti can transmit MAYV, supporting the possibility of wider transmission of Mayaro virus disease in urban settings.

[20] In January 2010, a French tourist developed high-grade fever and severe joint pain manifestations following a 15-day trip in the Amazon basin, Brazil, and was diagnosed with MAYV infection in France.