title: Seroprevalence of West Nile virus-specific antibodies in a cohort of blood donors in northeastern Italy.
abstract: IgG and IgM levels against West Nile virus (WNV) were measured in 20,033 serum samples that were obtained between October 2008 to September 2009 from 9913 blood donors in the district of Ferrara, northeastern Italy. As confirmatory test, a microneutralization assay was used to detect the presence of neutralizing antibodies against WNV. Sixty-eight subjects (0.69%) were positive for anti-WNV by immunofluorescence assay. Large differences in the prevalence of antibodies to WNV were noted between towns in the area evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Operative Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaibani
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manisera
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dirani
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavrini
authors.forename: Florio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghinelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghinelli
authors.forename: Alba Carola
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Finarelli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattivi
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Macini
authors.forename: Gastone
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Landini
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sambri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M