Abstract
The index case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Haiti was reported during early 2014; the vector, the pervasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, promoted rapid spread throughout the country. During December 2014–February 2015, we collected blood samples from 4,438 persons at 154 sites (62 urban, 92 rural) throughout Haiti and measured CHIKV IgG by using a multiplex bead assay. Overall CHIKV seroprevalence was 57.9%; differences between rural (mean 44.9%) and urban (mean 78.4%) areas were pronounced. Logistic modeling identified the urban environment as a strong predictor of CHIKV exposure (adjusted odds ratio 3.34, 95% CI 2.38–4.69), and geographic elevation provided a strong negative correlation. We observed no correlation between age and antibody positivity or titer. Our findings demonstrated through serologic testing the recent and rapid dissemination of the arbovirus throughout the country. These results show the utility of serologic data to conduct epidemiologic studies of quickly spreading mosquitoborne arboviruses.
Highlights
The index case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Haiti was reported during early 2014; the vector, the pervasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, promoted rapid spread throughout the country
Considering that the first confirmed cases of CHIKV in Haiti were reported in April 2014, it is notable that >50% of the population would have evidence of exposure to this arbovirus within 9 months of introduction
The fast spread of CHIKV has been observed before: in the French island of La Reunion in the 2005–2006 outbreak, more than one third of the population was believed to have been exposed, and 63% of the persons living on the island of the Union of the Comoros were exposed to CHIKV during the initial outbreak there [11,12]
Summary
The index case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Haiti was reported during early 2014; the vector, the pervasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, promoted rapid spread throughout the country. Confirming infection aids in determining the causative agent of symptoms, only supportive care is currently available for chikungunya, because CHIKV-specific antiviral drugs have not been identified [5]. Using these assays would require persons to have been sampled during active or recent viremia, whereas CHIKV IgG could persist for longer periods of time [4,6]. We present data from a nationwide survey in Haiti in which we used a bead-based serologic assay to determine the overall presence of CHIKV IgG, which provides evidence of past and current exposure
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