Abstract
Background: Several surveys have been conducted on the seroprevalence of viral infections caused by Chikungunya and West Nile viruses in humans. However, there is a paucity of studies on the seroprevalence and spread of these viruses in children. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the seropositivity of IgG antibodies against Chikungunya and West Nile viruses in a group of Iranian children aged one month to 14 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on blood samples collected from children aged one month to 14 years in Tehran who attended the outpatient clinics of a children’s hospital from March to December 2018. The serum IgG levels against Chikungunya and West Nile viruses were assessed using the ELISA technique. Results: Of 180 serum samples assessed for positivity, four (three from boys and one from girls) had positive IgG for Chikungunya and 11 (seven from boys and four from girls) had positive IgG for West Nile, causing overall seropositivity of 2.2% and 6.1% for Chikungunya and West Nile infections, respectively. Moreover, Chikungunya and West Nile viruses showed no significant association between seropositivity and sex. High seropositivity was observed predominantly in the age groups of below two years and over 10 years in Chikungunya and West Nile infections, respectively. However, the difference was not significant (P-value > 0.05). In the age group of one month to two years, all cases with positive IgG were less than six-month-old. Conclusions: The results of the seroprevalence of Chikungunya and West Nile viruses among children in Tehran showed the prevalence of these viral infections in this region. Therefore, these infections should be considered in the differential diagnosis for children with clinical symptoms of viral diseases.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.