C57 strain mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with denatured mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 particles and virus surface projection, membrane and ribonucleoprotein subcomponents, obtained from detergent treated purified virus preparations. All immunised animals developed high levels of serum antibody directed against the respective antigens, detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mice that had been immunised with denatured virus particles or surface projections were protected against infection with mouse hepatitis virus strain 3, whereas immunisation with virus membrane or ribonucleoprotein subcomponents failed to protect mice against virus challenge.

Antibody rises to various virus subcomponents were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay in the paired sera of volunteers experimentally infected with human coronavirus 229E group viruses. Most of the antibody made during infection was directed against the virus surface projections, with only small amounts of antibody made against membrane or ribonucleoprotein components.

Sera from adults in Southern Iraq were collected during winter and screened by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of antibodies to the two antigenic groups of human coronaviruses, the 229E and the OC43 groups: 91% of the sera had antibodies to at least one of the groups, whereas 4 and 5% of the sera had antibodies to only the 229E or OC43 groups, respectively. There was significant correlation between the levels of antibody to the 229E and OC43 group coronaviruses in these sera.

Abstract. The knowledge on the presence and seroprevalence of arboviruses in Iraq is fragmental. To assess the exposure of the population to arbovirus infections in southern Iraq, we conducted a serological screening of the most common arbovirus groups using immunofluorescence, hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization tests. Serum samples of 399 adult volunteers were collected in Nasiriyah, Iraq. Antibodies were detected against West Nile virus (WNV) (11.6%), sandfly-borne Sicilian virus serocomplex (18.2%), sandfly-borne Naples virus serocomplex (7.8%), Sindbis virus (1.5%), chikungunya virus (0.5%), and Tahyna virus (2.0%). The results suggest that WNV and sandfly-borne phlebovirus infections are common in southern Iraq, and these viruses should be considered as potential causative agents in patients with febrile disease and/or neurological manifestations.

Acute febrile neurological infection cases in southern Iraq (N = 212) were screened for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Two LCMV IgM–positive serum samples and 2 cerebrospinal fluid samples with phylogenetically distinct LCMV strains were found. The overall LCMV seroprevalence was 8.8%. LCMV infections are common and associated with acute neurological disease in Iraq.