Bengue Michèle auteur aut IRD Pintong A. auteur aut IRD Liégeois Florian auteur aut IRD Nougairede A. auteur aut IRD Hamel Rodolphe auteur aut IRD Pompon Julien auteur aut IRD Lamballerie X. de auteur aut IRD Roques P. auteur aut IRD Choumet V. auteur aut IRD Missé Dorothée auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emergent alphavirus that causes MAYV fever. It is often associated with debilitating symptoms, particularly arthralgia and myalgia. MAYV infection is becoming a considerable health issue that, unfortunately, lacks a specific antiviral treatment. Favipiravir, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, has recently been shown to exert anti-MAYV activity in vitro. In the present study, the potential of Favipiravir to inhibit MAYV replication in an in vivo model was evaluated. Immunocompetent mice were orally administrated 300 mg/kg/dose of Favipiravir at pre-, concurrent-, or post-MAYV infection. The results showed a significant reduction in infectious viral particles and viral RNA transcripts in the tissues and blood of the pre- and concurrently treated infected mice. A significant reduction in the presence of both viral RNA transcript and infectious viral particles in the tissue and blood of pre- and concurrently treated infected mice was observed. By contrast, Favipiravir treatment post-MAYV infection did not result in a reduction in viral replication. Interestingly, Favipiravir strongly decreased the blood levels of the liver disease markers aspartate- and alanine aminotransferase in the pre- and concurrently treated MAYV-infected mice. Taken together, these results suggest that Favipiravir is a potent antiviral drug when administered in a timely manner. specialized alphavirus arbovirus mayaro favipiravir antiviral drug 052 050 080 13 11 2213 [17 ] 2021 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010083796 10.3390/v13112213 [F B010083796] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010083796 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2022-01/010083796.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2022-01-12 2025-02-24 fdi:010083796 fre