Evolution and spillover dynamics of yellow fever at the forest–urban interface in Brazil
Yellow fever virus (YFV) continues to threaten human and wildlife populations in the Americas, yet its transmission at the forest-urban interface remains unclear. Here we integrate ground- and canopy-level mosquito surveillance, systematic monitoring of non-human primate carcasses and viral metagenomics to describe the dynamics of a sylvatic YFV outbreak in a 186-hectare Atlantic Forest fragment embedded within metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, between 2017 and 2018. Our analyses reveal that transmission was primarily driven by a single genetic cluster introduced during a period of high abundance of the main vector, Haemagogus leucocelaenus mosquitoes. A near-complete hepatitis A virus genome was detected in a YFV-infected howler monkey, suggesting potential co-infections at the human-wildlife interface. Phylogenetic and epidemiological modelling estimated a basic reproduction number, R<sub>0</sub>, for sylvatic yellow fever of 8.2 (95% CI 5.1-12.2), substantially higher than previous estimates for urban outbreaks. Our findings demonstrate that multisource surveillance could provide actionable early warnings in regions at risk for zoonotic spillover.
Authors
- Adriano Pintér (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4596-3268)
- Leandro Abade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4681-9412)
- Márcia Bicudo de Paula (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5958-8601)
- Alvina Clara Félix (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6084-8172)
- Renato Pereira de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-7085)
- Alice Coimbra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9149-3151)
- Juliana Telles-de-Deus
- Juliana Laurito Summa
- Ian Nunes Valença (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6614-2755)
- Valquíria Reis de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-693X)
- Franciane Mendes de Oliveira
- Jaqueline Góes de Jesus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5404-272X)
- Mariza Pereira
- Pâmela dos Santos Andrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5213-7592)
- Juliana Mariotti Guerra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0326-7187)
- Mayara Bertanhe
- Sarah C. Hill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2995-2596)
- Ben C. Lambert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4274-4158)
- Luís Filipe Mucci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7766-7597)
- Thaís Moura Coletti
- Guilherme Casoni da Rocha
- Thais Guimarães-Luiz
- Katherine Lima de Gouveia
- Hélia Maria Piedade
- Thaís Caroline Sanches
- Tamara Nunes de Lima-Camara
- Filipe R. R. Moreira
- Anderson V. de Paula
- Esmenia C. Rocha
- Camila M. G. Abreu
- Charles Whittaker
- Raissa H. de Araujo Eliodoro
- Dilmar A. G. Oliveira
- Paulo R. dos Santos
- Camila A. M. da Silva
- Natalia C. C. F. de Azevedo
- Francisco E. S. P. Vilela
- William M. de Souza
- Ana Paula P. Teixeira
- Marissa da Silva Lima
- Nuno R. Faria
- Victoria Cox
- Márcio Port-Carvalho
- Ester C. Sabino
- Mariana S. Cunha
- Eric T. B. C. da Silva
- Marcelo S. Nardi
- Eduardo S. Bergo
- Lucas A. M. Franco
- Ingra M. Claro
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Royal Veterinary College (GB)
- National Tropical Botanical Garden (US)
- University of Kentucky (US)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- St Mary's University Twickenham London (GB)
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz (BR)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria (BR)
- Institute for Biodiversity (DE)
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical (PY)
- Governo do Estado de São Paulo (BR)
- Instituto de Saúde (BR)
- Secretaria do Meio Ambiente (BR)
- Secretaria da Saúde (BR)
- Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Berkeley Public Health Division (US)
- Secretaria Municipal do Verde e do Meio Ambiente (BR)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Microbiology
- Published
- 2026-03-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-026-02302-w
- Primary Topic
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00