Prevalence of human herpesvirus 6 antibody among isolated Amazonian Amerindian communities in Brazil.
Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) antibody was detected by the anticomplement immunofluorescence test in 65 of 592 serum samples (10.9%) obtained from Amerindians belonging to 4 remote communities inhabiting the Amazon Region of Brazil. Seropositivity rates ranged from 5.4% in the Oyampí to 14.9% in the Tucano. Among the Mekranoiti and Tiriyo, the seroprevalence rates were 12.5% and 11.8%, respectively. In children aged 0-10 years, the prevalences of HHV6 antibody ranged from 5.2% to 24.2%, among the Oyampí and Mekranoiti tribes, respectively. In the 11-20 and > 20 years old age groups, percentages of positivity ranged, in the former group, from 9.5% to 17.5% in the Oyampí and Tucano, respectively and, in the latter group, from 1.3% in the Oyampí to 14.8% in the Tucano. The prevalences of HHV6 antibody decreased regularly through the first 3 age-groups in the Mekranoiti and Tiriyo. In addition, frequencies of seropositivity were consistently higher in males than in females in the Mekranoiti (P < 0.05), Oyampí and Tiriyo tribes.
Instituto Evandro Chagas, Fundação Nacional de Saúde, Belém, Pará, Brasil.
R B
RB
de Freitas
M I
MI
Linhares
A C
AC
Linhares
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
D000914:Antibodies, Viral