Abstract
BackgroundA substantial portion of Dutch travellers is comprised of immigrants returning to their country of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFRs), including VFRs returning to dengue-endemic areas such as Suriname. Limited attention has been focused on dengue among immigrants, therefore it is unknown whether immigration has effect on the epidemiology of (severe) dengue among VFRs.To get more insight in the seroprevalence of dengue among Surinamese immigrants, we conducted a seroprevalence study on a convenience sample of first-generation Surinamese immigrants living in the Netherlands.MethodsBlood samples were tested for IgG antibodies to DENV antigen serotypes (1, 2, 3 and 4). Gender, age, years lived in Suriname before immigration, history of yellow fever vaccination, and time between yellow fever vaccination and blood sample collection were examined as possible predictors for previous infection.ResultsOf the studied 400 Surinamese travellers with a mean age of 52 years (range 18–89), 37% were male. Serology suggestive of past DENV infection was found in 325 individuals (81.3%; 95% CI: 77-85%). The time lived in Suriname before immigration was the only significant predictor for previous DENV infection.ConclusionsMost first-generation Surinamese immigrants have evidence of past DENV infection, probably comparable to Surinamese inhabitants. Whether this influences the number of cases of (severe) dengue when travelling requires more study.
Highlights
A substantial portion of Dutch travellers is comprised of immigrants returning to their country of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFRs), including VFRs returning to dengue-endemic areas such as Suriname, a former Dutch colony in the Caribbean [5]
It seems like immigration to a non dengue endemic country causes little difference in dengue seroprevalence between the Surinamese immigrants and the majority of populations living in dengue-endemic areas of the Americas and the Caribbean get infected with the dengue virus
The seroprevalence of previous dengue virus (DENV) infection in our study was positively related to the duration participants had lived in Suriname before immigration
Summary
A substantial portion of Dutch travellers is comprised of immigrants returning to their country of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFRs), including VFRs returning to dengue-endemic areas such as Suriname. Limited attention has been focused on dengue among immigrants, it is unknown whether immigration has effect on the epidemiology of (severe) dengue among VFRs. To get more insight in the seroprevalence of dengue among Surinamese immigrants, we conducted a seroprevalence study on a convenience sample of first-generation Surinamese immigrants living in the Netherlands. Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations of dengue varies from a mild febrile self-limiting illness to a severe, potentially fatal disease. Substantial gaps remain in the basic understanding of the pathogenesis. Recovery from infection by one serotype provides lifelong immunity against that particular type [1]. Hypothesized and strengthened by epidemiologic studies [2,3] is that
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