Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are mosquito-borne viral infections. Over the past few decades, WNV has been associated with several outbreaks involving high numbers of neuroinvasive diseases among humans. The recent re-emergence of ZIKV has been associated with congenital malformation and also with Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults. The geographic range of arthropod-borne viruses has been rapidly increasing in recent years. The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of IgG specific antibodies and the genome of WNV and ZIKV in human samples, as well as WNV and ZIKV genomes in wild-caught mosquitoes in urban and rural areas of the Hormozgan province, in southern Iran. A total of 494 serum samples were tested for the presence of WNV and ZIKV IgG antibodies using ELISA assays. One hundred and two (20.6%) samples were reactive for WNV IgG antibodies. All serum samples were negative for ZIKV IgG antibodies. Using the multivariable logistic analysis, age (45+ vs. 1–25; OR = 3.4, 95% C.I.: 1.8–6.3), occupation (mostly outdoor vs. mostly indoor; OR = 2.4, 95% C.I.: 1.1–5.2), and skin type(type I/II vs. type III/IV and type V/VI; OR = 4.3, 95% C.I.: 1.7–10.8 and OR = 2.7, 95% C.I.: 1.3–5.5 respectively, skin types based on Fitzpatrick scale) showed significant association with WNV seroreactivity. We collected 2,015 mosquitoes in 136 pools belonging to 5 genera and 14 species. Three pools of Culex pipiens complex were positive for WNV RNA using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtRT-PCR). ZIKV RNA was not detected in any of the pools. All WNV ELISA reactive serum samples were negative for WNV RNA. In conclusion, we provided evidence of the establishment of WNV in southern Iran and no proof of ZIKV in serum samples or in mosquito vectors. The establishment of an organized arbovirus surveillance system and active case finding strategies seems to be necessary.
Highlights
West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are mosquito-transmitted viruses from the genus Flavivirus
We evaluated the presence of WNV and ZIKV via serological and genome detection in human samples and mosquitoes from southern Iran
Our results showed that 20.6% of the studied human samples were IgG reactive to WNV while no antibodies against ZIKV were detected
Summary
West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are mosquito-transmitted viruses from the genus Flavivirus. In 2007 the first major, but mild, ZIKV outbreak was reported on Yap Island in Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean [3]. Before 2007, cases of ZIKV infection were detected only sporadically with mild symptoms in humans and because of that, ZIKV has been neglected since its discovery in 1947. The ongoing ZIKV epidemic in Brazil has been associated with congenital infection, an unusual number of neonates with microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations [5, 6]. In 2015, the ZIKV epidemic spread from Brazil to 60 other countries and territories. Active local virus transmission and cases of imported ZIKV infections are occurring all over the world [7,8,9]
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