Title
Clinical and serological findings of madariaga and venezuelan equine encephalitis viral infections: A follow-up study 5 years after an outbreak in Panama
Date Issued
01 September 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Carrera J.P.
Pittí Y.
Molares-Martínez J.C.
Casal E.
Saenz L.
Guerrero I.
Galué J.
Rodriguez-Alvarez F.
Jackman C.
Pascale J.M.
Armien B.
Weaver S.C.
Donnelly C.A.
Vittor A.Y.
Universidad de Oxford
Publisher(s)
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Background. Human cases of Madariaga virus (MADV) infection were first detected during an outbreak in 2010 in eastern Panama, where Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) also circulates. Little is known about the long-term consequences of either alphavirus infection. Methods. A follow-up study of the 2010 outbreak was undertaken in 2015. An additional survey was carried out 2 weeks after a separate 2017 alphavirus outbreak in a neighboring population in eastern Panama. Serological studies and statistical analyses were undertaken in both populations. Results. Among the originally alphavirus-seronegative participants (n = 35 of 65), seroconversion was observed at a rate of 14.3% (95% CI, 4.8%-30.3%) for MADV and 8.6% (95% CI, 1.8%-23.1%) for VEEV over 5 years. Among the originally MADVseropositive participants (n = 14 of 65), VEEV seroconversion occurred in 35.7% (95% CI, 12.8%-64.9%). In the VEEV-seropositive participants (n = 16 of 65), MADV seroconversion occurred in 6.3% (95% CI, 0.2%-30.2%). MADV seroreversion was observed in 14.3% (95% CI, 1.8%-42.8%) of those who were originally seropositive in 2010. VEEV seroconversion in the baseline MADVseropositive participants was significantly higher than in alphavirus-negative participants. In the population sampled in 2017, MADV and VEEV seroprevalence was 13.2% and 16.8%, respectively. Memory loss, insomnia, irritability, and seizures were reported significantly more frequently in alphavirus-seropositive participants than in seronegative participants. Conclusions. High rates of seroconversion to MADV and VEEV over 5 years suggest frequent circulation of both viruses in Panama. Enhanced susceptibility to VEEV infection may be conferred by MADV infection. We provide evidence of persistent neurologic symptoms up to 5 years following MADV and VEEV exposure.
Volume
7
Issue
9
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Enfermedades infecciosas Virología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85096702591
Source
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
Sponsor(s)
Funding text This work was supported by the Neglected Diseases Grant from the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Panama to J.M.P. (grant number 1.11.1.3.703.01.55.120) and by the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, National Institutes of Health (grant number AI120942). J.P.C. is funded by the Clarendon Scholarship from the University of Oxford and the Lincoln-Kingsgate Scholarship from Lincoln College, University of Oxford (grant number SFF1920-CB2-MPLS-1293647). C.A.D. acknowledges the MRC Centre, which is jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) under the MRC/DFID Concordat agreement and is also part of the EDCTP2 program supported by the European Union.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus