High Seroprevalence of Chikungunya Virus Antibodies Among Pregnant Women Living in an Urban Area in Benin, West Africa

Anastasia Bacci Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Serena Marchi Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Nadine Fievet Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Achille Massougbodji Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Renè Xavier Perrin Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Jean-Philippe Chippaux Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Vittorio Sambri Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Maria Paola Landini Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Stefania Varani Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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Giada Rossini Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy; Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de Recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, France; Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy

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The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of antichikungunya virus (anti-CHIKV) antibodies in pregnant women living in an urban area of Benin (West Africa). Results were obtained by screening sera collected in 2006 and 2007 with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-CHIKV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. Positive results were confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence test and microneutralization assay. We found that a large proportion (36.1%) of pregnant women living in Cotonou had specific IgG against CHIKV, indicating a high seroprevalence of the infection in urban southern Benin, whereas no active cases of CHIKV infection were detected.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Giada Rossini, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: giada.rossini@unibo.it

Financial support: This work was partially supported by funding from the Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italian Ministry of Health Grant RF-2009-1539631 (to V.S.), and University of Bologna Grant RFO (to M.P.L. and S.V.).

Authors' addresses: Anastasia Bacci, Serena Marchi, and Giada Rossini, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy, E-mails: analulo@libero.it, serena.marchi25@gmail.com, and giada.rossini@unibo.it. Nadine Fievet and Jean-Philippe Chippaux, Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unitès mixtes de recherche (UMR) 216, Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, Paris, France, and Pres Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, France, E-mails: fievet@ird.fr and jean-philippe.chippaux@ird.fr. Achille Massougbodji and Renè Xavier Perrin, Centre d'étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l'Enfance (CERPAGE), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin, E-mails: achille.massougbodji@ird.fr and perrinrx@yahoo.fr. Vittorio Sambri, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, and Unit of Microbiology, Area Vasta Romagna (AVR), Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy, E-mail: vittorio.sambri@unibo.it. Maria Paola Landini and Stefania Varani, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy, and Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, E-mails: mariapaola.landini@unibo.it and stefania.varani@unibo.it.

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