Seroevidence for a High Prevalence of Subclinical Infection With Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Among Workers in a Live-Poultry Market in Indonesia

• Main Authors: Kazufumi Shimizu, Laksmi Wulandari, Emmanuel Djoko Poetranto, Retno Asih Setyoningrum, Resti Yudhawati Meliana, Amelia Sholikhah, Aldise Mareta Nastri, Anna Lystia Poetranto, Adithya Y. R. Candra, Edith Frederika Puruhito, Yusuke Takahara, Yoshiaki Yamagishi, Masaoki Yamaoka, Hak Hotta, Takako Utsumi, Maria Inge Lusida, Soetjipto, Yohko K. Shimizu, Gatot Soegiarto, Yasuko Mori
• Format: Article PeerReviewed
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: Oxford Academic 2016
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); RJ Pediatrics
• Online Access: http://repository.unair.ac.id/107450/1/2016%20-%20Seroevidence%20for%20a%20High%20Prevalence%20of%20Subclinical%20Infection.pdf; http://repository.unair.ac.id/107450/2/seroevidence%20for%20a%20high%20prevalence%20of%20subclinical%20infection%20with%20avian%20influenza%20....pdf; http://repository.unair.ac.id/107450/3/Seroevidence%20for%20a%20High%20Prevalence%20of%20Subclinical%20Infection.pdf; http://repository.unair.ac.id/107450/; https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/214/12/1929/2632602; https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiw478
• Institution: Universitas Airlangga

Background In Indonesia, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus has become endemic in poultry and has caused sporadic deadly infections in human. Since 2012, we have conducted fixed-point surveillance of avian influenza viruses at a live-poultry market in East Java, Indonesia. In this study, we examined the seroprevalence of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection among market workers. Methods Sera were collected from 101 workers in early 2014 and examined for antibody activity against avian A(H5N1) Eurasian lineage virus by a hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) assay. Results By the HI assay, 84% of the sera tested positive for antibody activity against the avian virus. Further analysis revealed that the average HI titer in 2014 was 2.9-fold higher than in 2012 and that seroconversion occurred in 44% of paired sera (11 of 25) between 2012 and 2014. A medical history survey was performed in 2016; responses to questionnaires indicated that none of workers had had severe acute respiratory illness during 2013. Conclusions This study provides evidence of a high prevalence of avian A(H5N1) virus infection in 2013 among workers at a live-poultry market. However, because no instances of hospitalizations were reported, we can conclude the virus did not manifest any clinical symptoms in workers.