Low seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to Ebola virus in an epidemic zone: Ogooué-Ivindo region, Northeastern Gabon, 1997

J Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 15;191(6):964-8. doi: 10.1086/427994. Epub 2005 Feb 8.

Abstract

A population-based serosurvey was performed to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to Ebola virus (EBO) in a region that has experienced multiple epidemics of EBO hemorrhagic fever. Of 2533 residents in 8 villages, serum samples from 979 (38.6%) were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM antibodies to Ebola-Zaire (EBO-Z) virus. Fourteen samples (1.4%) were found positive for IgG antibodies, and 4 of these (.4%) were samples from survivors of an epidemic of EBO hemorrhagic fever. Seroprevalence based on the remaining 10 IgG-seropositive individuals with no history of exposure to EBO was 1.0% (exact binomial 95% confidence interval, 0.5%-1.9%). No serum samples were found positive for IgM antibodies to EBO-Z virus. The low seroprevalence suggests that, outside of recognized outbreaks, human exposure to EBO in this epidemic zone is rare.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Ebolavirus / immunology*
  • Female
  • Gabon / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / epidemiology*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G