Dengue and West Nile Virus Transmission in Children and Adults in Coastal Kenya.
Dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are important reemerging arboviruses that are under-recognized in many parts of Africa due to lack of surveillance. As a part of a study on flavivirus, alphavirus, and parasite exposure in coastal Kenya, we measured neutralizing antibody against DENV and, to evaluate assay specificity, WNV in serum samples that tested positive for serum anti-DENV IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 830 anti-DENV IgG-positive samples that were tested for neutralizing activity, 488 (58.8%) neutralized DENV and 94 (11.3%) neutralized WNV. Of children ≤ 10 years of age, 23% and 17% had serum neutralizing antibody to DENV and WNV, respectively, indicating that DENV and WNV transmission has occurred in this region within the past decade. The results suggest that ongoing DENV and WNV transmission continues on the coast of Kenya and supports a need for routine arboviral surveillance in the area to detect and respond to future outbreaks.
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California. davidvu@stanford.edu.
David M
DM
Vu
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California.
Tamara
T
Banda
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California.
Crystal Y
CY
Teng
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California.
Chelsea
C
Heimbaugh
Division of Vector Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Eric M
EM
Muchiri
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Peter L
PL
Mungai
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Francis M
FM
Mutuku
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California.
Julie
J
Brichard
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California.
Ginny
G
Gildengorin
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Erin M
EM
Borland
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Ann M
AM
Powers
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Uriel
U
Kitron
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Charles H
CH
King
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
A Desiree
AD
LaBeaud
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult
D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral