Serosurvey for dengue virus infection among pregnant women in the West Nile virus enzootic community of El Paso Texas.

Douglas M Watts,Fernando J Gonzalez,Alan P Dupuis,Laura D Kramer,Jeanette Orbegozo,Gilbert A Handel,Pedro M Palermo,Susan J Wong,Cynthia M Rodriguez,Veronica Suarez,Kevin K Ariën

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242889

Abstract

All 4 dengue viruses (DENV) cause sporadic outbreaks of human disease in the Rio Grande Valley along the US-Mexico border. In addition, West Nile virus (WNV) is enzootic in most border communities, and is the only arbovirus known to cause human disease in the El Paso, Texas community. In an effort to determine if DENV were also endemic in the El Paso community, a serosurvey was conducted among mothers at the time of delivery of their babies in selected hospitals. Cord-blood plasma samples obtained from mothers were tested for DENV antibody by an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA), plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and a multiplex microsphere immunoassay. All DENV antibody positive plasma samples were also tested for WNV antibody by the same assays to consider the possibility that DENV antibody positive samples reflected WNV cross reactive antibody. The results indicated that 0.74% (11/1,472) of the mothers had a previous DENV infection and that 3.3% (48/1,472) had a previous WNV infection. Of these mothers, 0.20% (3/1,472) had antibody to both DENV and WNV as evidence of infection by both viruses. The results indicated that 0.2% (3/1472) of the mothers were positive for antibody to only WNV envelope, thus suggesting an undetermined flavivirus infection. Although 6 of the 11 DENV antibody positive mothers did not have a history of travel to a DENV endemic country, the findings of this survey provided further evidence of local transmission of WNV and suggested the possibility of focal autochthonous transmission of DENV in the El Paso community.

Highlights

Dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae are the cause of more human illness and death than any other arbovirus disease as well as the cause of a major economic burden in endemic countries [1,2,3,4,5]
All reactive samples tested by Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay (ELISA) at 2 – fold dilutions ranging from 1:100 to 1:6400 for dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus (WNV) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were reactive at all titers for both viruses
An additional 28 samples negative for DENV and WNV ELISA IgG antibodies were selected for testing by the University of TX at El Paso (UTEP)-plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and the NY-microsphere immunoassay (MIA) to evaluate the validity of the ELISA results

Summary

Introduction

Dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae are the cause of more human illness and death than any other arbovirus disease as well as the cause of a major economic burden in endemic countries [1,2,3,4,5]. Sporadic outbreaks of dengue fever (DENF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) have been reported since 1980 in the Rio Grande Valley of the United States (US)— Mexico (MX) border region, primarily in the urban communities of Matamoros in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and in Brownsville, TX and surrounding communities [7,8,9]. All outbreaks on the US side of the border have been attributed to DENV infected travelers returning from visits during epidemics in the bordering Mexican city of Matamoros [10]. Ae. aegypti inhabits the entire US border region, with a sporadic distribution pattern for Aedes albopictus, autochthonous transmission of DENV has only been reported from urban communities in the Rio Grande Valley on the US side of the border [13, 14]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion