Serological evidence for human exposure to < i > Bacillus cereus < /i > biovar < i > anthracis < /i > in the villages around Ta ï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire

by Susann Dupke, Grit Schubert, F élicité Beudjé, Anne Barduhn, Maude Pauly, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Roland Grunow, Chantal Akoua-Koffi, Fabian H. Leendertz, Silke R. KleeBacillus cereus biovaranthracis (Bcbva) is an untypical anthrax-causing pathogen responsible for high wildlife mortality in Ta ï National Park (TNP), Côte d’Ivoire. However, nothing is known about its effect on the rural population living in the region bordering TNP. Contact to bushmeat is a known risk factor for exposure to a variety of zoonotic pathogens, but no human infections withBcbva were noted so far. Therefore, we performed a retrospective seroprevalence analysis with sera from 1,386 study volunteers. We used assays which detect antibodies against the protective antigen PA, which is synthesized by bothBcbva and classicB.anthracis, and against the recently described antigen pXO2-60, a 35-kDa protein only produced byBcbva. We found a high seroprevalence (22.37%) of antibodies against PA, and approximately half of those sera (10.46%) were also positive for theBcbva-specific antigen pXO2-60. All sera negative for PA were also negative for antibodies against pXO2-60, confirming specificity and suitability of the PA/pXO2-60 combined serological assay. The fact that a large fraction of sera was positive for PA but negative for pXO2-60 can most likely be explained by lower immunogenicity of pXO2-60, but exposure to classicB.anthracis cannot be excluded. As onlyBcbva has been detected in the TNP area ...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research