Endemic and epidemic human alphavirus infections in eastern Panama: an analysis of population-based cross-sectional surveys.
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Madariaga virus (MADV) has recently been associated with severe human disease in Panama, where the closely related Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) also circulates. In June 2017, a fatal MADV infection was confirmed in a community of Darien Province. We conducted a cross-sectional outbreak investigation with human and mosquito collections in July 2017, where sera were tested for alphavirus antibodies and viral RNA. In addition, by applying a catalytic, force-of-infection (FOI) statistical model to two serosurveys from Darien Province in 2012 and 2017, we investigated whether endemic or epidemic alphavirus transmission occurred historically. In 2017, MADV and VEEV IgM seroprevalences were 1.6% and 4.4%, respectively; IgG antibody prevalences were MADV: 13.2%, VEEV: 16.8%, Una virus (UNAV): 16.0%, and Mayaro virus: 1.1%. Active viral circulation was not detected. Evidence of MADV and UNAV infection was found near households, raising questions about its vectors and enzootic transmission cycles. Insomnia was associated with MADV and VEEV infections, depression symptoms were associated with MADV, and dizziness with VEEV and UNAV. Force-of-infection analyses suggest endemic alphavirus transmission historically, with recent increased human exposure to MADV and VEEV in Aruza and Mercadeo, respectively. The lack of additional neurological cases suggests that severe MADV and VEEV infections occur only rarely. Our results indicate that over the past five decades, alphavirus infections have occurred at low levels in eastern Panama, but that MADV and VEEV infections have recently increased-potentially during the past decade. Endemic infections and outbreaks of MADV and VEEV appear to differ spatially in some locations of eastern Panama.
Date Issued
2020-10-26
Date Acceptance
2020-08-01
Citation
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2020, 103 (6), pp.2429-2437
ISSN
0002-9637
Publisher
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Start Page
2429
End Page
2437
Journal / Book Title
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume
103
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
[open-access] This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
[open-access] This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33124532
Grant Number
MR/R015600/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tropical Medicine
VENEZUELAN-EQUINE-ENCEPHALITIS
MAYARO VIRUS
UNA
CHIKUNGUNYA
OUTBREAK
PARAGUAY
TESTS
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alphavirus
Alphavirus Infections
Animals
Antibodies, Viral
Chikungunya Fever
Chikungunya virus
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression
Dizziness
Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine
Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine
Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine
Endemic Diseases
Epidemics
Farmers
Fatigue
Female
Housing
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Immunoglobulin M
Male
Middle Aged
Mosquito Vectors
Panama
Semliki forest virus
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Young Adult
Animals
Humans
Alphavirus
Chikungunya virus
Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine
Semliki forest virus
Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine
Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine
Alphavirus Infections
Dizziness
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Fatigue
Immunoglobulin G
Immunoglobulin M
Antibodies, Viral
Cross-Sectional Studies
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Depression
Housing
Endemic Diseases
Age Distribution
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Middle Aged
Child
Child, Preschool
Panama
Female
Male
Young Adult
Epidemics
Chikungunya Fever
Farmers
Mosquito Vectors
11 Medical and Health Sciences
Tropical Medicine
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2020-10-26