Jamjoom Ghazi A, Azhar Esam I, Kao Moujahid A, Radadi Raja M
Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.; Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Virology (Auckl). 2016 Feb 17;7:1-7. doi: 10.4137/VRT.S34187. eCollection 2016.
Although virologically confirmed dengue fever has been recognized in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, since 1994, causing yearly outbreaks, no proper seroepidemiologic studies on dengue virus have been conducted in this region. Such studies can define the extent of infection by this virus and estimate the proportion that may result in disease. The aim of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of past dengue virus infection in healthy Saudi nationals from different areas in the city of Jeddah and to investigate demographic and environmental factors that may increase exposure to infection.
Sera were collected from 1984 Saudi subjects attending primary health care centers in six districts of Jeddah. These included general patients of various ages seeking routine vaccinations, antenatal care or treatment of different illnesses excluding fever or suspected dengue. A number of blood donors were also tested. Serum samples were tested by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for IgG antibodies to dengue viruses 1, 2, 3, 4. A questionnaire was completed for each patient recording various anthropometric data and factors that may indicate possible risk of exposure to mosquito bites and dengue infection. Patients with missing data and those who reported a history of dengue fever were excluded from analysis, resulting in a sample of 1939 patients to be analyzed.
The overall prevalence of dengue virus infection as measured by anti-dengue IgG antibodies from asymptomatic residents in Jeddah was 47.8% (927/1939) and 37% (68/184) in blood donors. Infection mostly did not result in recognizable disease, as only 19 of 1956 subjects with complete information (0.1%) reported having dengue fever in the past. Anti dengue seropositivity increased with age and was higher in males than females and in residents of communal housing and multistory buildings than in villas. One of the six districts showed significant increase in exposure rate as compared to the others. Availability of public sewage was associated with lower infection at a nearly significant level. No other clear risk factors were identifiable. Infection was not related to travel abroad.
Our results indicate a relatively high exposure of Jeddah residents to infection by dengue viruses, which must be considered endemic to this region. Infection largely remained asymptomatic or was only associated with minor illness for which patients did not seek treatment. These results call for continued vigilance for clinical cases of dengue that may arise from this wide exposure. They also call for more extensive control efforts to reduce exposure to and transmission of dengue viruses.
自1994年以来，沙特阿拉伯吉达市已确认出现病毒学确诊的登革热病例，且每年都会爆发疫情，但该地区尚未对登革热病毒进行适当的血清流行病学研究。此类研究可以确定该病毒的感染范围，并估计可能导致疾病的比例。本研究的目的是测量吉达市不同地区健康沙特国民过去登革热病毒感染的血清阳性率，并调查可能增加感染风险的人口统计学和环境因素。
从吉达六个区的初级卫生保健中心的1984名沙特受试者中采集血清。这些受试者包括寻求常规疫苗接种、产前护理或治疗除发热或疑似登革热以外各种疾病的不同年龄段的普通患者。还对一些献血者进行了检测。血清样本通过酶免疫测定（EIA）检测登革病毒1、2、3、4的IgG抗体。为每位患者填写一份问卷，记录各种人体测量数据以及可能表明接触蚊虫叮咬和登革热感染风险的因素。分析时排除了数据缺失的患者以及有登革热病史的患者，最终纳入分析的样本为1939名患者。
通过检测吉达无症状居民的抗登革热IgG抗体，登革热病毒感染的总体患病率为47.8%（927/1939），献血者中的患病率为37%（68/184）。感染大多未导致可识别的疾病，因为在1956名信息完整的受试者中，只有19人（0.1%）报告过去患过登革热。抗登革热血清阳性率随年龄增长而增加，男性高于女性，群居住房和多层建筑的居民高于别墅居民。六个区中的一个区与其他区相比，暴露率显著增加。公共污水的可及性与较低的感染率相关，接近显著水平。未发现其他明显的风险因素。感染与出国旅行无关。
我们的结果表明吉达居民感染登革热病毒的暴露率相对较高，该地区必须被视为登革热的地方性流行区。感染大多仍无症状或仅与轻症相关，患者未因此寻求治疗。这些结果呼吁对可能因广泛暴露而出现的登革热临床病例持续保持警惕。它们还呼吁采取更广泛的控制措施，以减少登革热病毒的暴露和传播。
