The Presence and Seroprevalence of Arthropod-Borne Viruses in Nasiriyah Governorate, Southern Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The knowledge on the presence and seroprevalence of arboviruses in Iraq is fragmental. To assess the exposure of the population to arbovirus infections in southern Iraq, we conducted a serological screening of the most common arbovirus groups using immunofluorescence, hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization tests. Serum samples of 399 adult volunteers were collected in Nasiriyah, Iraq. Antibodies were detected against West Nile virus (WNV) (11.6%), sandfly-borne Sicilian virus serocomplex (18.2%), sandfly-borne Naples virus serocomplex (7.8%), Sindbis virus (1.5%), chikungunya virus (0.5%), and Tahyna virus (2.0%). The results suggest that WNV and sandfly-borne phlebovirus infections are common in southern Iraq, and these viruses should be considered as potential causative agents in patients with febrile disease and/or neurological manifestations.

[1]  V. Kroumova,et al.  [The mosquito-borne viruses in Europe]. , 2015, Recenti progressi in medicina.

[2]  P. Lemey,et al.  New Insights into Flavivirus Evolution, Taxonomy and Biogeographic History, Extended by Analysis of Canonical and Alternative Coding Sequences , 2015, PLoS ONE.

[3]  M. Ciccozzi,et al.  Co-circulation of Dengue and Chikungunya Viruses, Al Hudaydah, Yemen, 2012 , 2014, Emerging infectious diseases.

[4]  Shi-yan,et al.  Tahyna virus infection, a neglected arboviral disease in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. , 2014 .

[5]  A. Mnzava,et al.  Chikungunya outbreak in Al-Hudaydah, Yemen, 2011: Epidemiological characterization and key lessons learned for early detection and control , 2014, Journal of epidemiology and global health.

[6]  A. Vaheri,et al.  Isolation and characterization of a California encephalitis serogroup orthobunyavirus from Finnish mosquitoes. , 2014, Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases.

[7]  Zhi-Qiang Wang,et al.  Tahyna virus infection, a neglected arboviral disease in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. , 2014, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[8]  V. Sambri,et al.  West nile virus infection in the Mesopotamia region, Syria border of Turkey. , 2013, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[9]  O. Vapalahti,et al.  Seroprevalence of Sindbis virus and associated risk factors in northern Sweden , 2013, Epidemiology and Infection.

[10]  M. Shirzadi,et al.  Seroprevalence of West Nile virus in Iran. , 2013, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[11]  L. Nel,et al.  Human cases of Sindbis fever in South Africa, 2006–2010 , 2013, Epidemiology and Infection.

[12]  A. Mnzava,et al.  Detection of Chikungunya virus in Aedes aegypti during 2011 outbreak in Al Hodayda, Yemen. , 2012, Acta tropica.

[13]  P. Gasque,et al.  Arthritogenic alphaviruses—an overview , 2012, Nature Reviews Rheumatology.

[14]  R. Nasci,et al.  Circulation of diverse genotypes of Tahyna virus in Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. , 2011, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[15]  R. Elliott,et al.  Molecular biology of orthobunyaviruses , 2011 .

[16]  M. Pfeffer,et al.  Phylogeographic structure and evolutionary history of Sindbis virus. , 2010, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[17]  D. Bausch,et al.  Acute Arboviral Infections in Guinea, West Africa, 2006 , 2010, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[18]  A. Lambert,et al.  Tahyna Virus and Human Infection, China , 2009, Emerging infectious diseases.

[19]  R. Lowen,et al.  New record and updated checklists of the mosquitoes of Afghanistan and Iraq , 2008, Journal of vector ecology : journal of the Society for Vector Ecology.

[20]  George N. Appenzeller,et al.  Outbreak of sandfly fever in central Iraq, September 2007. , 2008, Military medicine.

[21]  A. Vaheri,et al.  Sindbis Virus Infection in Resident Birds, Migratory Birds, and Humans, Finland , 2008, Emerging infectious diseases.

[22]  A. Vaheri,et al.  Prevalence and Protein Specificity of Human Antibodies to Inkoo Virus Infection , 2007, Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

[23]  S. Yingst,et al.  Serological evidence of arboviral infection and self-reported febrile illness among U.S. troops deployed to Al Asad, Iraq , 2007, Epidemiology and Infection.

[24]  R. Harbach,et al.  PRESENCE OF AEDES ALBOPICTUS IN LEBANON AND SYRIA , 2007, Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association.

[25]  C. Huang,et al.  Seroprevalence and distribution of Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, and Bunyaviridae arboviral infections in rural Cameroonian adults. , 2006, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[26]  I. Cattadori,et al.  Hantavirus and arenavirus antibody prevalence in rodents and humans in Trentino, Northern Italy , 2005, Epidemiology and Infection.

[27]  Z. Hubálek,et al.  Mosquitoborne Viruses, Czech Republic, 2002 , 2005, Emerging infectious diseases.

[28]  E. Saliba,et al.  Seroprevalence of West Nile, Rift Valley, and sandfly arboviruses in Hashimiah, Jordan. , 2000, Emerging infectious diseases.

[29]  L. Li,et al.  Isolation and complete nucleotide sequence of a Chinese Sindbis-like virus. , 2000, The Journal of general virology.

[30]  O. Vapalahti,et al.  A rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test for detection of neutralizing antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis virus. , 1998, Journal of virological methods.

[31]  N. Karabatsos,et al.  California serogroup viruses from mosquitoes collected in the USSR. , 1991, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[32]  B. Niklasson,et al.  Geographical and temporal distribution of Ockelbo disease in Sweden , 1991, Epidemiology and Infection.

[33]  N. Karabatsos,et al.  Antigenic relationships between flaviviruses as determined by cross-neutralization tests with polyclonal antisera. , 1989, The Journal of general virology.

[34]  T. Monath,et al.  Sindbis virus isolations from Saudi Arabian mosquitoes. , 1985, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

[35]  D. Bach-Hamba,et al.  [Arbovirus infections in Tunisia: new serological survey of small wild mammals]. , 1983, Bulletin de la Societe de pathologie exotique et de ses filiales.

[36]  H. Launay,et al.  [Arbovirus infections in Morocco: serosurvey in small wild mammals in the northern part of the country]. , 1982, Bulletin de la Societe de pathologie exotique et de ses filiales.

[37]  R. Tesh,et al.  Studies on the epidemiology of sandfly fever in Iran. II. The prevalence of human and animal infection with five phlebotomus fever virus serotypes in Isfahan province. , 1977, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[38]  R. Tesh,et al.  The prevalence of human infection with West Nile virus in Iran , 1976 .

[39]  R. Tesh,et al.  Serological studies on the epidemiology of sandfly fever in the Old World. , 1976, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[40]  Z. Hubálek,et al.  Isolation of Tahyna virus from the blood of sick children. , 1975, Acta virologica.

[41]  P. Saikku,et al.  Arboviruses in Finland. IV. Isolation and characterization of Inkoo virus, a Finnish representative of the California group. , 1973, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[42]  A. Šimková,et al.  Isolation of Tahyna virus from the blood of a case of influenza-like disease. , 1973, Acta virologica.

[43]  Y. Nir,et al.  Arbovirus activity in Israel. , 1972, Israel journal of medical sciences.

[44]  J. Levitt,et al.  Survey for antibodies against arthropod-borne viruses in the sera of indigenous residents of the Caprivi Strip and Bechuanaland Protectorate. , 1965, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

[45]  K. C. Smithburn,et al.  Neutralizing antibodies for certain viruses in the sera of human beings residing in Northern Natal. , 1959, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[46]  J. Casals,et al.  Techniques for hemagglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition with arthropod-borne viruses. , 1958, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.