title: Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV) in Argentina: serological evidence of human infection.
abstract: Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV) are responsible for human diseases in the Americas, producing severe or mild illness with symptoms indistinguishable from dengue and other arboviral diseases. For this reason, many cases remain without certain diagnosis. Seroprevalence studies for VEEV subtypes IAB, ID, IF (Mosso das Pedras virus; MDPV), IV (Pixuna virus; PIXV) and VI (Rio Negro virus; RNV) were conducted in persons from Northern provinces of Argentina: Salta, Chaco and Corrientes, using plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). RNV was detected in all studied provinces. Chaco presented the highest prevalence of this virus (14.1%). Antibodies against VEEV IAB and -for the first time- against MDPV and PIXV were also detected in Chaco province. In Corrientes, seroprevalence against RNV was 1.3% in the pediatric population, indicating recent infections. In Salta, this was the first investigation of VEEV members, and antibodies against RNV and PIXV were detected. These results provide evidence of circulation of many VEE viruses in Northern Argentina, showing that surveillance of these infectious agents should be intensified.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gómez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Belén
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina.
authors.forename: Griselda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oria
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina.
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beskow
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gómez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gómez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Konigheim
authors.affiliation: Hospital San Vicente de Paul, Orán, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cacace
authors.affiliation: Hospital Dante Tardelli, Pampa del Indio, Chaco, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gómez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marta Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Contigiani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000276:immunology*; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral