Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1588: Seroprevalence of Alphaviruses (Togaviridae) among Urban Population in Nouakchott, Mauritania, West Africa

Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1588: Seroprevalence of Alphaviruses (Togaviridae) among Urban Population in Nouakchott, Mauritania, West Africa Viruses doi: 10.3390/v15071588 Authors: Bedia Abdoullah Guillaume André Durand Leonardo K. Basco Ahmed El Bara Mohamed Abdallahi Bollahi Laurent Bosio Manon Geulen Sébastien Briolant Ali Ould Mohamed Salem Boukhary The presence of alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has never been reported in Mauritania. We assessed the seroprevalence of CHIKV among Nouakchott residents. A cross-sectional study involving 1300 non-febrile patients consulting at the Nouakchott hospital center was conducted between January and June 2021. The presence of anti-CHIKV IgG and neutralizing antibodies against CHIKV, O’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a serum neutralization test, respectively, and the associated risk factors were investigated. Of the 1300 study participants, serological evidence of previous exposure to CHIKV was observed in 37 individuals (2.8%). Sex, age, reported use of repellants, and bed net ownership and usage were not associated with CHIKV seropositivity. Our results showed the co-circulation of two other alphaviruses, ONNV and SFV, in Nouakchott in 30 (2.3%) individuals. This is the first study that documents the co-circulation of CHIKV, ONNV, and SFV in Mauritania, albeit at low prevalence. Surveillanc...
Source: Viruses - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research