Infections due to arboviruses (ARthropod-BOrne VIRUSes, arthropod-transmitted virus) have increased considerably worldwide in recent years. In humans, symptoms associated with an acute infection of most arboviruses are often described as a “dengue-like syndrome”, including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, arthralgia, and muscle symptoms such as myalgia, myositis or rhabdomyolysis.
In some cases, muscle symptoms may persist for months, especially after flavivirus and alphavirus infections. However, in humans, cellular targets of muscle infection have rarely been identified. Animal models provide information to elucidate pathological mechanisms by studying viral tropism, viral inflammation or potential viral persistence in the muscle compartment. The tropism of arboviruses for muscle cells as well as the cytopathic effect induced by viruses and cellular damage can be confirmed in vitro using cell models.
This review describes the link between muscle damage and arbovirus infections, as well as the underlying mechanisms.
