Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Healthy Blood Donors from Different National Populations Residing in Qatar

Dargham, Soha R.; Al-Sadeq, Duaa W.; Yassine, Hadi M.; Ahmed, Muna; Kunhipurayil, Hasna; Humphrey, John M.; Abu‐Raddad, Laith J.; Nasrallah, Gheyath K.

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.11.175

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…In Northern Italy Pierro et al identified 2.08% seroprevalence between 2010 and 2011 [29], while in Greece 2.1% IgG; 0.13% IgM (2012-2013) and in Western Turkey 2.51% IgG seropositivity was measured (2010) [30,31]. A higher seroprevalence was estimated among blood donors in Qatar where the prevalence of WNV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies were 10.4% and 3.3%, respectively [32].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019

et al. 2022

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In Hungary, West Nile virus (WNV) has been responsible for 459 laboratory confirmed human cases between 2004 and 2019, while the first human Usutu virus (USUV) infection was confirmed only in 2018. A comprehensive serosurvey was conducted among blood donors to assess the WNV and USUV seroprevalence in 2019, one year after the largest European WNV epidemic. Altogether, 3005 plasma samples were collected and screened for WNV and USUV specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All reactive samples were further tested for tick-borne encephalitis virus IgG antibodies by ELISA. Indirect immunofluorescence test and microneutralization assay were used as confirmatory methods. Overall, the WNV seroprevalence was 4.32%, and in five blood donors USUV seropositivity was confirmed. The highest seroprevalence was measured in Central, Eastern and Southern Hungary, while the Western part of the country proved to be less affected. There was a statistically strong association between the WNV seroprevalence of 2019 and the cumulative incidence in the period of 2004 and 2019 calculated for every NUTS 3 region. The last WNV serological screening was performed in 2016 and the prevalence of anti-WNV IgG proved to be 2.19%. One year after the 2018 WNV outbreak, a significant increase in seroprevalence was observed in the Hungarian population and evidence for USUV seropositivity was also obtained. The spatial pattern of seroprevalence can support the identification of high-risk areas raising awareness of the need for increased surveillance, such as screening vector, equine, and avian populations. The communication with general practitioners and other professionals in primary health care services can support the early identification of acute human cases. Education and awareness-raising on the importance of protection against mosquito vectors amongst residents are also important parts of preventive measures.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019

et al. 2022

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“…Additionally, 80% of WNV infections may develop asymptomatically (3). Finally, in 1% of patients, especially the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems, it causes neurological disease with a fatality rate of approximately 10% and high morbidity (2,28). Neurological disease may manifest with severe symptoms such as viral encephalitis, meningitis, seizures and long-term sequelae such as altered mental status, lethargy, cranial nerve palsy, acute flaccid paralysis, and movement disorders (3,29).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first isolation of the WNV was in the West Nile Region of Uganda in 1937. After this date, it has caused epidemics in different parts of the world (2). WNV circulation is a zoonotic cycle of transmission between various species of birds and primarily Culex mosquitoes (3), whereas mammals are deadend hosts and demonstrate the clinical symptoms of WNV infection (4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are We Missing West Nile Virus in Turkish Blood Donors?

Şanlı¹,

Gareayaghi²,

Ceran³

2022

csmedj

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Objective:In countries with the West Nile virus (WNV) presence, blood bank screen donated blood for WNV to reduce contamination risk. Despite surveillance studies in Turkey, which is currently a sporadic region for WNV, it remains unclear whether routine WNV screening is necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate whether WNV screening is necessary in Turkey by analyzing WNV seropositivity in blood donors (BD) in Istanbul, which houses more than one-fifth of the country's population.

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“…This finding was similar to a previously reported data on the seroprevalence in the population of Qatar (10.4%), a neighbor country to Saudi Arabia. 11 No data is available about seroprevalence of WNV in humans from other neighboring Gulf countries in the Arabian Peninsula. A study from UAE reported no detection of WNV RNA in the blood donors in 2008.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 Several studies documented the presence of WNV antibodies in humans and animals in the Mediterranean area and the Arabian Peninsula. [10][11][12][13] A systematic review investigated the prevalence of WNV antibodies in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO (EMRO). It was found that antibodies against WNV were reported in the general population of 17 out of the 22 countries in the region at variable percentages ranging from 1% to 61%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological Evidence of West Nile Virus Infection Among Humans, Horses, and Pigeons in Saudi Arabia

Alkharsah¹,

Al-Afaleq²

2021

IDR

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This study was designed to investigate the seroprevalence of WNV antibodies in humans, horses, and pigeons in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 323 humans, 147 horses, and 282 pigeons from two regions, Al-Ahsa and Al-Qatif, in East of Saudi Arabia. Serum samples were tested for anti-WNV antibodies by ELISA. Results:The percentage of anti-WNV antibodies in the human population was found to be 9.6% (3.1% in females and 6.5% in males). This percentage was much higher in horses, as 71.4% (105/147) of the horses had anti-WNV antibodies. However, no statistically significant difference in the anti-WNV antibody prevalence was found among horses from the two regions, Al-Ahsa (73.9%) and Al-Qatif (70.3%) (P value 0.665, 95% CI 0.37-1.82). No significant difference was found in the frequency of WNV antibodies among different age groups from humans or horses. Noticeably, 72.7% of the horses had detectable anti-WNV antibodies by the age of 1 year. In total, 53.19% (150/282) of the pigeons in the study had anti-WNV antibodies. Conclusion:Our study provided the first evidence for anti-WNV antibody detection in humans and pigeons. This study further ascertained the high seroprevalence of the virus in horses as reported previously by Hemida et al 2019. Overall data indicates that WNV is endemic in Saudi Arabia. These findings suggest that more attention should be given to the diagnosis and reporting of WNV infections in human and animals and monitoring of virus circulation in the environment.

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Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Healthy Blood Donors from Different National Populations Residing in Qatar

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019

West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019

Are We Missing West Nile Virus in Turkish Blood Donors?

Serological Evidence of West Nile Virus Infection Among Humans, Horses, and Pigeons in Saudi Arabia

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