[Prevalence of Flavivirus antibodies in Alouatta caraya primate autochthonous of Argentina].

Flavivirus constitute a human health problem in our country. Primates are known to participate in the maintenance of Dengue and Yellow Fever viruses. However, these animals play a role which still remains to be determined in the maintenance of other viruses with potential pathogenicity for human beings and/or animals. Detección of antibodies was performed for different flavivirus in 105 sera samples of Alouatta caraya primates by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The neutralization (NT) test confirmed only infections caused by St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus with a high prevalence in HI (35.23%) and NT (32.38%) antibodies. No antibody titres indicative of infections by Yellow Fever, Dengue and Bussuquara viruses were registered. Infection by the liheus virus could not be confirmed in these primates. There is a need for studies to detect new or reemergent viral infections in Argentina and the role that these primates could play in the maintenance of such infections.