Follow-Up Household Serosurvey in Northeast Brazil for Zika Virus: Sexual Contacts of Index Patients Have the Highest Risk for Seropositivity. (5th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Magalhaes, Tereza; Morais, Clarice N L; Jacques, Iracema J A A; Azevedo, Elisa A N; Brito, Ana M; Lima, Priscilla V; Carvalho, Gabriella M M; Lima, Andreza R S; Castanha, Priscila M S; Cordeiro, Marli T; Oliveira, Andre L S; Jaenisch, Thomas; Lamb, Molly M; Marques, Ernesto T A; Foy, Brian D
• Is Part Of: Journal of infectious diseases. Volume 223:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 673
• Page End: 685
• Publication Date: 2020-09-05
• Subjects: chikungunya -- epidemiology -- mosquito -- sexual transmission -- Zika; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Diseases -- Causes and theories of causation -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa563
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1899

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is also transmitted sexually; however, the epidemiological relevance of ZIKV sexual transmission in endemic regions is unclear. Methods: We performed a household-based serosurvey in Northeast Brazil to evaluate the differential exposure to ZIKV and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) among households. Individuals who participated in our previous arboviral disease cohort (indexes) were recontacted and enrolled, and their household members were newly enrolled. Results: The relative risk of sexual partners being ZIKV-seropositive when living with a ZIKV-seropositive index participant was significantly higher, whereas this was not observed among nonsexual partners of the index. For CHIKV, both sexual and nonsexual partner household members living with a CHIKV-seropositive index had a significantly higher risk of being seropositive. In the nonindex-based dyadic and generalized linear mixed model analyses, the odds of sexual dyads having a concordant ZIKV plaque reduction neutralization test result was significantly higher. We have also analyzed retrospective clinical data according to the participants' exposure to ZIKV and CHIKV. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ZIKV sexual transmission may be a key factor for the high ZIKV seroprevalence among households in endemic areas and raises important questions about differential disease from the 2 modes of transmission. Abstract : Our household-based serological survey for Zika and chikungunya viruses in Northeast Brazil suggests that sexual contact may be a strong driver of ZIKV exposure in endemic regions, where the virus is transmitted by both mosquitoes and sexual contact.