High SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Rapid Neutralizing Antibody Decline among Agricultural Workers in Rural Guatemala, June 2020–March 2021
Chelsea Iwamoto,
Kelsey E. Lesteberg,
Molly M. Lamb,
Diva M. Calvimontes,
Kejun Guo,
Bradley S. Barrett,
Kaylee L. Mickens,
Lindsey M. Duca,
Jose Monzon,
Anna N. Chard,
Gerber Guzman,
Edgar Barrios,
Neudy Rojop,
Kareen Arias,
Melissa Gomez,
Claudia Paiz,
Guillermo Antonio Bolanos,
Kathryn M. Edwards,
Emily Zielinski Gutierrez,
Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner,
Edwin J. Asturias,
Mario L. Santiago,
J. David Beckham,
Daniel Olson
Affiliations
Chelsea Iwamoto
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Kelsey E. Lesteberg
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Molly M. Lamb
Department of Epidemiology and Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13199 E. Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Diva M. Calvimontes
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Kejun Guo
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Bradley S. Barrett
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Kaylee L. Mickens
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Lindsey M. Duca
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Jose Monzon
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Health Protection (CDC-DGHP), 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Anna N. Chard
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Gerber Guzman
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Edgar Barrios
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Neudy Rojop
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Kareen Arias
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Melissa Gomez
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Claudia Paiz
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Guillermo Antonio Bolanos
Center for Human Development, Fundación para la Salud Integral de los Guatemaltecos, FSIG, Km 30 carretera de Coatepeque a Chiquirines Caballo Blanco, Retalhuleu 11010, Guatemala
Kathryn M. Edwards
Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2200 Children’s Way, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
Emily Zielinski Gutierrez
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Health Protection (CDC-DGHP), 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Edwin J. Asturias
Department of Epidemiology and Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13199 E. Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Mario L. Santiago
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
J. David Beckham
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 E. 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Daniel Olson
Department of Epidemiology and Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13199 E. Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Essential agricultural workers work under occupational conditions that may increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and transmission. Data from an agricultural worker cohort in Guatemala, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG (anti-N IgG) testing were used to estimate past infections and analyze risk factors associated with seropositivity at enrollment and association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The stability of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses were assessed in a subset of participants. The adjusted relative risk (aRR) for seroprevalence at enrollment was estimated accounting for correlations within worksites. At enrollment, 616 (46.2%) of 1334 (93.2%) participants had anti-N IgG results indicating prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. A cough ≤ 10 days prior to enrollment (aRR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13–1.46) and working as a packer (aRR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.67–2.38) or packing manager within the plants (aRR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.36–2.43) were associated with increased risk of seropositivity. COVID-19 incidence density among seronegative workers was 2.3/100 Person-Years (P-Y), higher than seropositive workers (0.4/100 P-Y). Most workers with follow-up NAb testing (65/77, 84%) exhibited a 95% average decrease in NAb titers in <6 months. While participants seropositive at baseline were less likely to experience a symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during follow-up, NAb titers rapidly waned, underscoring the need for multipronged COVID-19 prevention strategies in the workplace, including vaccination.
