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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 77(2), 2007, pp. 354-357
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


Seroprevalence of Antibodies to Parvovirus B19 among Children in Papua New Guinea

James Wildig, Ivo Mueller, Benson Kiniboro, Seri Maraga, Peter Siba, AND Yvonne Cossart*
Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea

 

ABSTRACT

Parvovirus B19 (B19) is a common childhood infection that has recently been found to be associated with severe anemia in Papua New Guinean children. Population surveys were performed in 15 villages in Maprik district, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea in 2005. Plasma samples collected from children less than 10 years of age were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies to B19 by enzyme immunoassay. The prevalence of IgG antibody to B19 was 53.8% and ranged from 20% in those less than one year of age to 85.5% in those nine years of age. Considerable variation in IgG prevalence was observed between study areas, indicating complex patterns of transmission. Prevalence of IgM antibody to B19 was 1.5%. This study confirms that B19 infection is common among children in this tropical area. With 19.5% of children one year of age showing evidence of previous infection, any preventive measures should be targeted at the very young.

Received August 21, 2006. Accepted for publication February 12, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank the participants and the staff of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research in Goroka and Maprik and the staff of the Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney for their participation in the study. We also thank Lawrence Rare, Simone Widmer, Daniela Michel, and the health center surveillance nurses for collecting samples.

Financial support: Travel to the field for James Wildig was supported by the University of Sydney.

* Address correspondence to Yvonne Cossart, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Sydney, Room 604, D06 Blackburn Building, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. E-mail: ycossart{at}infdis.usyd.edu.au

Authors’ addresses: James Wildig and Yvonne Cossart, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Sydney, Level 6, D06 Blackburn Building, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia, Telephone: 61-2-9351-2412 and 61-2-9351-2900, Fax: 61-2-9351-4731, E-mail: ycossart{at}infdis.usyd.edu.au. Ivo Mueller, Malaria Epidemiology, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research. PO Box 60, Goroka, EHP 441, Papua New Guinea, Telephone: 675-732-2800, Fax: 675-732-1998. Benson Kiniboro and Seri Maraga, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Maprik Branch, PO Box 400, Maprik ESP 533, Papua New Guinea, Telephone: 675-858-1294, Fax: 675-858-1257, E-mail: sepik{at}pngimr.org.pg. Peter Siba, Microbiology/Immunology, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research PO Box 60, Goroka, EHP 441, Papua New Guinea, Telephone: 675-732-2800, Fax: 675-732-1998.






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