Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.
J Vector Borne Dis. 2019 Oct-Dec;56(4):373-379. doi: 10.4103/0972-9062.302042.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a vector-borne pathogen that causes serious outbreaks among livestock, and severe symptoms and mortality in humans. The virus is known to be widespread throughout African countries and Arabian peninsula. The aim of the present study was to investigate the seroprevalence of RVFV infection among human populations of Mersin province, Turkey.
A region-wide serological survey was conducted on humans residing in rural and urban areas of Mersin province located in the subtropical mediterranean region of Turkey from July 2011- January 2014. Plasma samples were tested for the presence of anti-RVFV antibodies using commercially available indirect immunofluorescence assay.
The overall past infections were detected in 48 (4.9%) of the 977 human blood samples. The RVF virus- specific IgG positivity was detected in 33 (4.9%) of the 677 blood samples obtained from the urban area and in 15 (5%) of the 300 samples obtained from the rural area. There was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of RVFV IgG positivity rates between urban and rural areas (p = 0.933); though difference was significant between the rural areas (p = 0.029).
INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The study confirmed for the first time, the presence of the RVFV antibody in the urban and rural areas of mediterranean province of Mersin in Turkey, suggesting wide circulation of RVFV in the human population.
裂谷热病毒（RVFV）是一种经媒介传播的病原体，可导致牲畜中发生严重疫情，并使人类出现严重症状和死亡。该病毒已知广泛存在于非洲国家和阿拉伯半岛。本研究旨在调查土耳其梅尔辛省人类中裂谷热病毒感染的血清流行率。
2011 年 7 月至 2014 年 1 月，对位于土耳其亚热带地中海地区梅尔辛省农村和城市地区的居民进行了全地区血清学调查。使用市售间接免疫荧光测定法检测血浆样本中是否存在抗 RVFV 抗体。
在 977 份人类血液样本中，共发现 48 份（4.9%）既往感染。在从城市地区采集的 677 份血液样本和从农村地区采集的 300 份样本中，分别检测到 33 份（4.9%）和 15 份（5%）RVF 病毒特异性 IgG 阳性。城市和农村地区 RVFV IgG 阳性率的分布无统计学差异（p=0.933）；尽管农村地区的差异具有统计学意义（p=0.029）。
本研究首次证实土耳其地中海梅尔辛省城市和农村地区存在 RVFV 抗体，表明 RVFV 在人群中广泛传播。
