Dengue seroprevalence among asymptomatic blood donors during an epidemic outbreak in Central-West Brazil

PLoS One. 2019 Mar 25;14(3):e0213793. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213793. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) transmission by blood transfusion is an important route of viral acquisition during outbreaks. The prevalence of DENV markers (viral RNA, NS1, anti-DENV IgM, and IgG) among blood donors in Central-West Brazil has never been evaluated. Our aim was to evaluate the full set of serological and molecular markers for DENV among blood donors of the Federal District of Brazil during an extensive outbreak in 2016. We found an anti-DENV IgM prevalence of 6.74% (n = 32/475). Of 475, 20 samples (4.21%) were also anti-DENV IgG positive. All samples were non-reactive for NS1 and DENV RNA. Our results imply that a significant proportion of the tested donors had experienced asymptomatic infection. More studies are necessary to evaluate the real prevalence of DENV viremia in blood donors from the Federal District of Brazil and if specific measures are needed to routinely test the blood donors for DENV RNA during outbreaks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Asymptomatic Infections / epidemiology*
  • Blood Donors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Blood Transfusion
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Dengue / blood
  • Dengue / epidemiology
  • Dengue / immunology*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Dengue Virus / immunology*
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology
  • Male
  • Pilot Projects
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / immunology*
  • Viremia / blood
  • Viremia / epidemiology
  • Viremia / immunology
  • Viremia / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • NS1 protein, dengue-1 virus
  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins

Grants and funding

This project was supported financially by Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos - FINEP, Brazil (245/2016) (www.finep.gov.br), Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal, Federal District, Brazil - FAPDF (0193000416/2016) (www.fap.df.gov.br), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq, Brazil (453906/2014-01)(www.cnpq.br) and and Coordenação Geral de Laboratórios de Saúde Pública (CGLAB/SVS/MS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.