Prevalence of arbovirus antibodies in young healthy adult population in Brazil

• Published in: Parasites & vectors 2021-08, Vol.14 (1), p.1-403, Article 403
• Main Authors: Salgado, Bárbara Batista, de Jesus Maués, Fábio Carmona, Pereira, Renato Lemos, Chiang, Jannifer Oliveira, de Oliveira Freitas, Maria Nazaré, Ferreira, Milene Silveira, Martins, Lívia Caricio, da Costa Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando, Ganoza, Christian, Lalwani, Pritesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Antibodies; Aquatic insects; Arbovirus; Arboviruses; Complications; Cross-reactivity; Dengue fever; Distribution; Eastern equine encephalitis; Economic impact; Economics; Emergence; Encephalitis; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Fatalities; Health aspects; Hemagglutination inhibition; Hemagglutination inhibition assay; Impact analysis; Infections; Infectious diseases; Management; Methods; Military; Military personnel; Mosquitoes; Pathogens; Plasma; Population; Population studies; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public health; Public health administration; Sample size; Serology; Seroprevalence; Software; Training; Tropical diseases; Vaccination; Vector-borne diseases; Viruses; West Nile virus; Western equine encephalitis; Workers; Zika virus
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04901-4

The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases are a cause for worldwide concern. The introduction of Zika and Chikungunya diseases in the Americas has exposed unforeseen medical and logistical challenges for public health systems. Moreover, the lack of preventive measures and vaccination against known and emerging mosquito-transmitted pathogens, and the occurrence of unanticipated clinical complications, has had an enormous social and economic impact on the affected populations. In this study, we aimed to measure the seroprevalence of endemic and emerging viral pathogens in military personnel stationed in Manaus, Amazonas state. We measured the seropositivity of antibodies against 19 endemic and emerging viruses in a healthy military personnel group using a hemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA). Overall, DENV positivity was 60.4%, and 30.9% of the individuals reacted against ZIKV. Also, 46.6%, 54.7%, 51.3% and 48.7% individuals reacted against West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV) and Rocio virus (ROCV), respectively. Individuals with high DENV HIA titer reacted more frequently with ZIKV or WNV compared to those with low HIA titers. Observed cross-reactivity between Flaviviruses varied depending on the virus serogroup. Additionally, 0.6% and 0.3% individuals were seropositive for Oropouche virus (OROV) and Catu virus (CATUV) from the family Peribunyaviridae, respectively. All samples were negative for Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis virus (WEEV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), Mucambo virus (MUCV) and CHIKV from the family Togaviridae. A high proportion of individuals in our high-risk population (~ 60%) lacked antibodies against major endemic and emerging viruses, which makes them susceptible for further infections. Military personnel serving in the Amazon region could serve as sentinels to strengthen global infectious disease surveillance, particularly in remote areas.