Respiratory virus antibodies in sera of persons living in isolated communities.

It is known that young adults living in urban areas of many different parts of the world have serum antibodies against a number of viruses commonly associated with respiratory disease. It seemed possible that people living in isolated regions of the world, having infrequent contact with others, might have fewer virus infections, and, if so, that this would be reflected in an infrequent occurrence or low level of antibodies in their sera. Therefore sera were obtained from children and adults living in remote village-type communities in the Pacific (Micronesian islanders), North America (Eskimos) and South Africa (Hottentots). Antibodies against influenza viruses A2 and B, parainfluenza virus types 1, 2 and 3, reovirus types 1, 2 and 3, and two M rhinoviruses were present usually in a high proportion of sera in the three population groups; the results differed little from those for non-isolated communities. It seems that an extreme degree of isolation is required to reduce contact with viruses so that a population has little or no antibody.