Seroprevalence of yellow fever, dengue, West Nile and chikungunya viruses in children in Teso South Sub-County, Western Kenya

Abstract

Background: Arboviruses often cause widespread morbidity in children in endemic regions. Data on the burden of arboviruses in Kenyan children are limited. Objectives: This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of yellow fever (YFV), dengue (DENV), West Nile (WNV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses among children 1–12 years of age at two health facilities in Teso South Sub-County in Western Kenya. Methods: In a hospital-based cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information. Serum drawn from the children was tested for IgA/IgM/IgG serocomplex antibodies to selected arboviruses using indirect ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization tests. Results: A total of 182 (27.7%) of the 656 participants tested were positive for any arbovirus antibody. Of these, 4.4% (29/656) tested positive for YFV, 9.6% (62/649) for WNV, 5.6% (36/649) for CHIKV, 1.4% (5/368) for DENV1, 9% (59/656) for DENV2, and 19.7% (40/203) for DENV3. Neutralizing antibodies to CHIKV were found in 77.8% (42/54) of participants, to YFV in 15.8% (3/19), to DENV2 in 58% (29/50), and to WNV in 8% (1/55). Sex, age, urban residence, schooling, and lack of vaccination were associated with arbovirus exposure. Conclusions: This study confirmed that children under 12 years of age in Teso South Sub-County are exposed to ongoing arbovirus infections early in life. Keywords: Arbovirus, Seroprevalence, Kenya, Children, Yellow fever, Dengue, West Nile, Chikungunya