Affiliations 

  • 1 Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. amreeta.dhanoa@monash.edu
  • 2 Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
  • 3 Segamat District Public Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Peti Surat 102, Jalan Gudang Ubat, Kampung Gubah, 85000, Segamat, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
  • 4 Hospital Segamat, Ministry of Health Malaysia, KM 6, Jalan Genuang, 85000, Segamat, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia
  • 5 Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
Infect Dis Poverty, 2018 Jan 16;7(1):1.
PMID: 29335021 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-017-0384-1

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The frequency and magnitude of dengue epidemics continue to increase exponentially in Malaysia, with a shift in the age range predominance toward adults and an expansion to rural areas. Despite this, information pertaining to the extent of transmission of dengue virus (DENV) in the rural community is lacking. This community-based pilot study was conducted to establish DENV seroprevalence amongst healthy adults in a rural district in Southern Malaysia, and to identify influencing factors.

METHODS: In this study undertaken between April and May 2015, a total of 277 adult participants were recruited from households across three localities in the Sungai Segamat subdistrict in Segamat district. Sera were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG) (Panbio® Dengue Indirect IgG ELISA/high-titer capture) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) (Panbio®) antibodies. The plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) was conducted on random samples of IgG-positive sera for further confirmation. Medical history and a recall of previous history of dengue were collected through interviews, whereas sociodemographic information was obtained from an existing database.

RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence for DENV infection was 86.6% (240/277) (95% CI: 83-91%). Serological evidence of recent infection (IgM/high-titer capture IgG) was noted in 11.2% (31/277) of participants, whereas there was evidence of past infection in 75.5% (209/277) of participants (indirect IgG minus recent infections). The PRNT assay showed that the detected antibodies were indeed specific to DENV. The multivariate analysis showed that the older age group was significantly associated with past DENV infections. Seropositivity increased with age; 48.5% in the age group of <25 years to more than 85% in age group of >45 years (P 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.