Geographical and temporal distribution of Ockelbo disease in Sweden

Abstract

The incidence of Ockelbo disease and the prevalence of Ockelbo virus neutralizing antibodies were investigated in a sample of the Swedish population. The disease occurs throughout most of Sweden but with higher incidence and antibody prevalence rates in the central part of the country. It generally affects middle-aged men and women, with equal incidence between sexes, and is uncommon in people younger than 20 years of age. The disease occurs during a short period each year between the third week of July and the first week of October, with a peak during the second half of August. During the 8 years studied (1981-8), an average of 31 Ockelbo patients/year were diagnosed. The antibody prevalence rates in the oldest age groups were 20-40 times higher than the accumulated life-risk of being diagnosed and reported as an Ockelbo disease patient, which suggests that many cases are asymptomatic and/or unreported.

Sindbis Virus Infection in Resident Birds, Migratory Birds, and Humans, Finland

“…Incidence was highest for men 30-39 years of age and women 50-59 years of age, and prevalence was highest in central Sweden (37). Similar temporal and geographic fi ndings were reported for 1981-1987; seroprevalence was 2.5% (38).…”

Seroprevalence of Sindbis virus and associated risk factors in northern Sweden

“…In a Swedish study performed on human sera collected during 1981-1987 the SINV antibody prevalence showed a geographical distribution with the highest prevalence in central Sweden (3·6%) and decreasing prevalence both north and south of this region [8]. In the 1980s only 0·1% of the population in Norrbotten, the northernmost county in Sweden, were SINV antibody positive [8], compared to 2·9% in our study. It can be speculated that exposure to SINV has been more common during the last 25 years and there is data from Finland supporting a continuous increase in the incidence of SINV in northern Europe.…”

The Presence and Seroprevalence of Arthropod-Borne Viruses in Nasiriyah Governorate, Southern Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Previously, a single case of SINV seroconversion has been detected among U.S. Army troops in Iraq, 22 and the virus has been isolated from mosquitoes in Saudi Arabia, 23 as well as from mosquitoes and a European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) in Israel. 24 The seroprevalence of SINV in Iraq was rather low (1.5%) as compared with those of SINV-endemic regions in northern Europe (Finland: 5.2% of the total population, reaching 25.7% in North Karelia 20 ; Sweden: 3.6% in central Sweden, 2.9% in northern Sweden 25,26 ) and China (seroprevalence: 19% 27 ). The family Bunyaviridae contains four genera that cause infections in humans and other animals: Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus, Nairovirus, and Hantavirus.…”