Prevalence of CMV antibodies among women of childbearing age in different social environments in southern Israel

The prevalence rate of IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was determined in a sample of 567 women of childbearing age in the southern part of Israel by the immunoperoxidase assay to membrane antigen (IPAMA) technique. Urban Jewish women of Afro-Asian origin showed significantly higher rates of seropositivity than urban Jewish women of European-American origin (80% vs 65%, respectively, P less than 0.001), closely resembling the level of CMV seropositivity found in Afro-Asian and European-American countries in the same age and sex population groups. The Bedouin women showed slightly lower rates of CMV seropositivity (75%) than Jewish women of Afro-Asian origin. Particularly high rates of CMV seropositivity were detected in women who live in a kibbutz environment: 96% in women of Afro-Asian origin and 80% in women of Euro-American origin. Multiple discriminant analysis also singles out the kibbutz environment as a major contributor to the variance between the groups tested (P less than 0.003).     

Changing seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus infection in Taiwan

Hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV) in serum was studied from June to October, 1984, by radioimmunoassay in 647 male and 553 female apparently healthy children under 15 years of age in Taipei City. The prevalence rate of anti-HAV was 27.0% in infants, decreased to around 1% during the preschool age, then increased and remained around 5% until 11-12 years of age, when another increase was noted, and reached 13.6% among the early teenagers. The age-specific prevalence of anti-HAV increased with age but differed in three age ranges, which reflected three apparently different calculated annual incidences. Compared with previous studies in Taipei, the results showed a significant reduction in the prevalence of anti-HAV in almost every age group from 3 to 14 years. This fact probably reflects the marked improvement of hygienic conditions and progress in health education in recent years, which reduced the exposure to HAV infection among young children. The age of primary infection in the children was older than in previous studies, and it is expected that the susceptibility of HAV will extend to early adulthood.     

三峡库区兴山县钩端螺旋体宿主动物带菌状况及人群免疫水平分析

目的掌握兴山县钩端螺旋体病(钩体病)宿主动物带菌及人群免疫水平,为进一步做好钩体病的预防与控制提供依据。方法按照《全国钩端螺旋体病监测方案》开展鼠、家畜、青蛙等宿主动物带菌调查及健康人群血清学监测。结果平均鼠密度为1.80%。鼠种构成以黄胸鼠、小家鼠和黑线姬鼠为优势种,平均带菌率为3.75%。共检测病人尿液及家畜、青蛙、稻田疫水等7类样本565份,培养阳性菌株4株,阳性率为0.71%,其中稻田疫水2株,病人尿液、蛙肾各1株,菌株经鉴定黄疸出血群1株,秋季热群3株。人群钩体抗体阳性率平均为28.62%,青壮年阳性率较高,以黄疸出血型、七日热型、流感伤寒型、波摩那型为主。在监测中发现1例在农贸市场感染的经济型钩体病。结论兴山县钩体宿主动物带菌率低,血清学显示人群钩体隐性感染率较低,在山区型钩体自然疫源地存在的情况下,其发病率与社会因素和自然因素密切相关。农贸市场、畜牧养殖区及其周边为经济型钩体病疫源地,病例分析已经得到证实,建议今后应将其纳入预防和监测范围。     

Seroepidemiological study of hepatitis delta virus infection in Okinawa,Japan

A seroepidemiological study on hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was conducted in the Oki-nawan islands, the area of Japan where hepatitis B virus infection is most prevalent. The subjects of this study included 116 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, 48 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), 19 with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 11 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among the 194 serum samples examined, a total of 10 (5.2%) were anti-HDV sero-positive. Anti-HDV was detected in 2 (1.7%) of the 116 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, in 3 (6.3%) of the 48 patients with CH, and in 5 (26.3%) of the 19 with LC. However, none of the patients with HCC had detectable anti-HDV. Eight of the 10 were born in the Miyako island group and the remaining 2 on the main island of Okinawa. Since the subjects included 34 individuals who were living and/or born in the Miyako islands, the positive rate of anti-HDV in the islands was 23.5%. This study demonstrates the existence of an endemic area of HDV infection in Japan. © 1995Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

登革热疫点22年后的血清流行病学调查

目的了解曾发生登革热流行的旧疫区健康人群抗登革病毒的抗体水平及分布。方法在1986年曾爆发Ⅱ型登革热疫情的黄埔区鱼珠街一带,对2周内无临床症状的健康人群横断面采样,收集血清,ELISA法检测血清中抗登革病毒IgG抗体,并和非疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率进行比较。RT—PCR法检测抗体阳性者血清中登革病毒。结果登革热疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率为23.3％,非疫点健康人群抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率为3．8％,两者差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;登革热疫点人群抗体阳性率与年龄成正相关,0～20、21～30、31—40、41～50、51—60、61～70和70岁以上各年龄组的抗体阳性率分别为3．8％、5．8％、9．1％、26．5％、27．7％、32．5％和35．1％。30岁以下年龄组与31～40岁年龄组、31～d0岁年龄组与41～60岁年龄组、41-60岁年龄组与61岁年龄组间的抗登革病毒IgG抗体阳性率差异分别具有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。登革热疫点和非疫点15岁以下中小学生滤纸血样标本中均未检测到抗登革病毒IgG抗体。RT—PCR法未检测到抗体阳性者血清中有登革病毒。结论登革热疫点人群抗登革病毒IgG阳性率明显高于非疫点人群,疫点人群抗体阳性率随年龄增长而上升,提示登革热疫点在登革热疫情后,登革病毒可能在蚊媒体内存在低密度的循环。     

Should fimbriae be included in pertussis vaccines? Studies on ELISA IgG anti‐Fim2/3 antibodies after vaccination and infection

The anti‐Fim response and long‐term persistence after vaccination and infection may be of importance in understanding population immunity. Longitudinal serum samples (n = 1330) from 542 non‐infected children related to a Swedish vaccine trial showed that the post vaccination (DTPa5) antibody decay curve for pertussis ELISA IgG anti‐fimbriae2/3 (anti‐Fim2/3) was bi‐phasic. A slower one followed an initial rapid decay approximately 5–6 months after the third dose at 12 months of age. After 71 months, however, 60% still had concentrations above ≥5 EU/ml, a level that had been shown to correlate with decreased risk of disease. Booster responses after re‐vaccination with DTPa5 at 4, 5 and 6 years of age were strong and appeared within 1 week after vaccination, indicating immune memory. Ninety‐six young children with verified pertussis infection, for whom we had serum samples both before, during and after the infection, showed a high response if they had been primed with fimbriae (either DTPa5 or DTPwc). In contrast, 76% of infected children not primed with fimbriae (a DTPa2 or DT group) only had concentrations below the minimum level of detection in all samples taken during and after the infection. In two Swedish seroepidemiological surveys, one from 1997 just after reintroduction of universal childhood vaccination against pertussis and one from 2007, the proportion of children 2–3 years with anti‐Fim2/3 concentrations <5 EU/ml was similar and above 90%. This reflects that the two‐ or three‐component pertussis vaccines (DTPa2 and DTPa3) that were introduced in Sweden in 1996 do not induce anti‐Fim2/3 antibodies. In previous studies it was shown in multivariate analyses that levels of IgG anti‐Fim2/3 ≥ 5 EU/ml reduced short‐term risk of pertussis in small children. As the antibody response to Fim2/3 after infection is poor in children who have not been primed earlier in life, inclusion of immunogenic Fim2/3 in future pertussis vaccines should be considered.     

Infection with group C rotavirus in a suburban community in Brazil

Group C rotaviruses are associated with sporadic outbreaks of gastroenteritis worldwide. Age-specific seroprevalence of group C rotavirus antibodies was investigated in sera, randomly collected and representative of a suburban community in Brazil which had previously been screened for group A rotavirus antibodies. Antibody prevalence to group C rotavirus was low in children under 5 years and increased slowly with age to 36% seropositivity in adults, reflecting continuous exposure to primary infection in all age groups. This suggests a higher incidence of infection than disease might predict. Adult antibody prevalence was similar to that in other geographical settings. No obvious patterns of infection with group A and group C rotavirus were found within individuals, which suggests independent transmission. However, further epidemiological studies are required to understand group C rotavirus dynamics and possible interactions with group A rotavirus transmission and immunity.     

宁夏人群旋毛虫病血清流行病学调查

本文报告了用快速薄膜ELISA人试验对宁夏城乡人群7810人份旋毛虫血清进行流行病学调查的结果。阳性率1.7％(132/7810)。男、女性的阳性率分别为1.8％(63/3551)和1.6％(69/4259),两者间无显著性差异(x~2=0.4169,P>0.05)。人群各职业阳性率间也无显著差异(x~2=9.7851,P>0.05)。各年龄组阳性率间有显著性差异(x~2=30.424,P<0.05)。汉族阳性率1.9％(109/5782)高于回族阳性率1.1％(23/2 011),且有显著性差异(x~2=4.9261,P<0.05)。     

Age-specific antibody to hepatitis E virus has remained constant during the past 20 years in Japan

We investigated the presence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) and hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) by enzyme immunoassays in sera from 1015 individuals collected in 1974, 1984 and 1994. Age-specific profiles of anti-HEV remained unchanged with a peak at 40-49 years, while those of anti-HAV started to increase in individuals aged 20-29 years in 1974, 30-39 years in 1984 and 40-49 years in 1994. These results suggest that a silent HEV infection has been taking place in the last 20 years or so in Japan, while HAV infection has been terminated at least since 1974.