Seroprevalence of Chikungunya in an Asymptomatic Adult Population in North and South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Chikungunya (CHIK) is an emerging and reemerging infectious disease of public health importance in Indonesia. Information on the asymptomatic and true burden of CHIK virus (CHIKV) infections is limited. We assayed 1,092 healthy population samples, collected in North and South Sulawesi between 2019 and 2020, for antibodies against CHIKV. Blood samples were screened by IgM and IgG ELISAs and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. CHIKV IgG seroprevalence in North and South Sulawesi was 53.2% and 53.9%, respectively. The overall prevalence of anti-CHIKV IgM antibody was 12.9%. Molecular testing of blood donors revealed 0.66% (2/300) were positive for CHIKV qRT-PCR. Our study provides new insights into the CHIKV endemicity situation in the eastern part of Indonesia and warrants the need for further systematic surveillance considering there is no treatment or vaccine for CHIK infection.

Seroprevalence and clinical manifestations of Chikungunya infection in Makassar city, Indonesia

“…IgM is detected in the blood a few days after the onset of symptoms and persists for up to 3 months, while IgG is detected around day four after the onset of symptoms and may persist for years. As with most arboviruses, many infected people experience only mild or no symptoms (8). Viral exposure and immunological factors such as cytokines, chemokines, or molecular factors elicited by post-CHIKV infection modulate the IgG response qualitatively and quantitatively.…”