Influenza C virus high seroprevalence rates observed in 3 different population groups.
The epidemiology of Influenza C virus (FLUCV) infections remains poorly characterised. Here, we have examined the age- and location-specific seroprevalence of antibodies against FLUCV in 1441 sera from metropolitan continental France (Marseille), South-West Indian Ocean French territories (Reunion Island) and United-Kingdom (Edinburgh) using a combination of haemagglutination inhibition, virus neutralisation and ELISA assays. Our results show that immunity to FLUCV is common in all locations studied (global seroprevalence values >50%) and that the first immunising contacts generally occur early in life (i.e., in the 0-4 year-old age group). The latter item is further supported by the detection of FLUCV RNA by RT-PCR in naso-pharyngeal samples collected in patient attending the Emergency Room of the Public hospitals of Marseille, France with a large majority of children under 10 years-old: 17 (60.7%) in children ≤3 yo, 10 (35.7%) in the 4-10 yo age group and 1 (3.6%) in an adult (49yo). The temporal distribution of cases was atypical with regard to influenza (a large proportion of cases occurred in spring and summer) and the clinical presentation was diverse, including but being not limited to classical Influenza-like-Ilnesses. Altogether, our results indicate an intense circulation of FLUCV in the different study areas and an early occurrence of infection in human life. Flu C appears to be a widely under-diagnosed and under-studied human paediatric disease that obviously deserves further clinical and epidemiological characterisation.
UMR_D 190, Emergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, Marseille, France. Electronic address: salez.umr190@yahoo.fr.
Nicolas
N
Salez
UMR_D 190, Emergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, Marseille, France.
Julien
J
Mélade
Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les maladies émergentes dans l'Océan Indien, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France.
Hervé
H
Pascalis
IHU Mediterranee Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France.
Sarah
S
Aherfi
Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les maladies émergentes dans l'Océan Indien, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France.
Koussay
K
Dellagi
UMR_D 190, Emergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, Marseille, France; IHU Mediterranee Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France.
Rémi N
RN
Charrel
Epidémiologie des Maladies Infectieuses et Modélisation (UMR-S 707), INSERM-Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
Fabrice
F
Carrat
UMR_D 190, Emergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, Marseille, France; IHU Mediterranee Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France.
Xavier
X
de Lamballerie
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009982:Gammainfluenzavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044382:Population Groups; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000914:Antibodies, Viral
ELISA; Epidemiology; Haemagglutination; Influenza C; Real-time RT-PCR assay; Virus Neutralisation Test