title: Seroprevalence of dengue virus antibodies in healthy Jamaicans.
abstract: Dengue fever, a mosquito borne viral infection, is endemic to Jamaica. The seroprevalence of dengue IgG and IgM antibodies were determined in 277 healthy Jamaicans by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The seroprevalence of dengue IgG antibodies was 100% (277/277) while dengue IgM antibodies were found in 3.6% (10/277). A statistically significant association was found between the presence of dengue IgM antibodies and gender (males 10/105, 9.5% vs females 0/172, 0.0%); chi(2) = 17.0, p=0.000.The high seroprevalence rate of dengue IgG antibodies and the presence of dengue IgM in the healthy population are in keeping with the endemicity of the virus in Jamaica. Therefore tests for dengue IgG antibodies are of limited usefulness in Jamaica and can be safely excluded from diagnostic testing as a cost saving measure. Serological diagnosis of current dengue infection should be centred around the dengue IgM tests although the limitations in the predictive values of such tests should also be considered. The results also suggest that the risk of emergence of the more severe forms of dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) in the Jamaican population, due to the presence of enhancing antibodies, is high.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. mgbrown@cwjamaica.com
authors.forename: Michelle G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ivan E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Vickers
authors.forename: Rose Alba
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: Monica F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Smikle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M