Analysis of serological surveys using mixture models: application to a survey of parvovirus B19.

A method for the analysis of age stratified antibody prevalence surveys is developed. The age specific distribution of the quantitative results of serological antibody tests is modelled as a mixture of seropositive and seronegative components. This yields maximum likelihood estimates of the prevalence at each age. The method is illustrated using data from a previously reported survey of antibody to parvovirus B19.