[en] BACKGROUND: In Gabon, several Ebolavirus outbreaks have occurred exclusively in
the northeastern region. We conducted a large serosurvey to identify areas and
populations at risk and potential demographic, clinical, and behavioral risk
factors. METHODS: Blood samples and clinical and sociodemographic data were
collected from 4349 adults and 362 children in a random sample of 220 villages in
the 9 provinces of Gabon. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect
Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV)-specific IgG, and thin blood smears were used to detect
parasites. Logistic regression was implemented using Stata software (Stata), and
a probability level of <.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
RESULTS: The prevalence of ZEBOV-specific IgG was 15.3% overall, increasing to
32.4% (P< .001) in forest areas. No sociodemographic risk factors were found, but
the antibody prevalence increased linearly up to 20 years of age. Chronic
arthralgia and amicrofilaremia were the only factors associated with ZEBOV
seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the endemicity of ZEBOV in
Gabon and its link to the ecosystem. Human antibody positivity would appear to be
to the result of exposure to contaminated fruits.
Feldmann, H., Volchkov, V.E., Klenk, H.-D., Ebola and Marburg filoviruses (1997) Annales de l'Institut Pasteur/Actualites, 8 (3), pp. 207-222. , DOI 10.1016/S0924-4204(97)87655-X
Towner, J.S., Sealy, T.K., Khristova, M.L., Newly discovered Ebola virus associated with hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Uganga (2008) PLoS Pathog., 4, pp. e1000212. , 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000212
Bwaka, M.A., Bonnet, M.-J., Calain, P., Colebunders, R., De Ann, R., Guimard, Y., Katwiki, K.R., Van Den Enden, E., Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Clinical observations in 103 patients (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S1-S7
Rollin, P.E., Bausch, D.G., Sanchez, A., Blood chemistry measurements and D-dimer levels associated with fatal and nonfatal outcomes in humans infected with Sudan Ebola virus (2007) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 196 (SUPPL. 2), pp. S364-S371. , DOI 10.1086/520613
Rowe, A.K., Bertolli, J., Khan, A.S., Mukunu, R., Muyembe-Tamfum, J.J., Bressler, D., Williams, A.J., Ksiazek, T.G., Clinical, virologic, and immunologic follow-up of convalescent Ebola hemorrhagic fever patients and their household contacts, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S28-S35
Kuhn, J.H., Calisher, C.H., (2008) Filoviruses A Compendium of 40 Years of Epidemiological Clinical and Laboratory Studies, , eds New York: Springer Wien New York
Smith, D.I.H., Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Sudan 1976 (1978) Bull. World Health Organ., 56, pp. 247-270
Johnson, K.M., Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Zaire (1976) Bull. World Health Organ., 56, pp. 271-293
Amblard, J., Obiang, P., Edzang, S., Prehaud, C., Bouloy, M., Le Guenno, B., Identification of the Ebola virus in Gabon in 1994 [10] (1997) Lancet, 349 (9046), pp. 181-182
Georges-Courbot, M.-C., Sanchez, A., Lu, C.-Y., Baize, S., Leroy, E., Lansout-Soukate, J., Tevi-Benissan, C., Ksiazek, T.G., Isolation and phylogenetic characterization of Ebola viruses causing different outbreaks in Gabon (1997) Emerging Infectious Diseases, 3 (1), pp. 59-62
Georges, A.-J., Leroy, E.M., Renaut, A.A., Benissan, C.T., Nabias, R.J., Ngoc, M.T., Obiang, P.I., Georges-Courbot, M.-C., Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Gabon, 1994-1997: Epidemiologic and health control issues (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S65-S75
Milleliri, J.-M., Tevi-Benissan, C., Baize, S., Leroy, E., Georges-Courbot, M.-C., Epidemics of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon (1994-2002). Epidemiologic aspects and considerations on control measures (2004) Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique, 97 (3), pp. 199-205
Nkoghe, D., Formenty, P., Leroy, E.M., Nnegue, S., Obame Edou, S.Y., Iba Ba, J., Allarangar, Y., Toung Mve, M., Multiple Ebola virus haemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Gabon, from October 2001 to April 2002 (2005) Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique, 98 (3), pp. 224-229
Leroy, E.M., Rouquet, P., Formenty, P., Souquiere, S., Kilbourne, A., Froment, J.-M., Bermejo, M., Rollin, P.E., Multiple Ebola virus transmission events and rapid decline of central african wildlife (2004) Science, 303 (5656), pp. 387-390. , DOI 10.1126/science.1092528
Busico, K.M., Marshall, K.L., Ksiazek, T.G., Roels, T.H., Fleerackers, Y., Feldmann, H., Khan, A.S., Peters, C.J., Prevalence of IgG antibodies to Ebola virus in individuals during an Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1995 (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S102-S107
Gonzalez, J.P., Josse, R., Johnson, E.D., Merlin, M., Georges, A.J., Abandja, J., Danyod, M., Meunier, D.M.Y., Antibody prevalence against haemorrhagic fever viruses in randomized representative central African populations (1989) Research in Virology, 140 (4), pp. 319-331
Gonzalez, J.P., Nakoune, E., Slenczka, W., Vidal, P., Morvan, J.M., Ebola and Marburg virus antibody prevalence in selected populations of the Central African Republic (2000) Microbes and Infection, 2 (1), pp. 39-44. , DOI 10.1016/S1286-4579(00)00287-2
Gonzalez, J.P., Herbreteau, V., Morvan, J., Leroy, E.M., Ebola virus circulation in Africa: A balance between clinical expression and epidemiological silence (2005) Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique, 98 (3), pp. 210-217
Ivanoff, B., Duquesnoy, P., Languillat, G., Haemorrhagic fever in gabon incidence of lassa ebola and marburg viruses in haut-ogooué (1982) Trans. R. Soc. Med. Hyg., 76, pp. 719-720
Johnson, E.D., Gonzalez, J.P., Georges, A., Haemorrhagic fever virus activity in equatorial Africa: distribution and prevalence of filovirus reactive antibody in the Central African Republic (1993) Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 87, pp. 530-535
Nakounné, E., Selekon, B., Morvan, J., Veille microbiologique: Les fièvres hémorragiques virale en république centrafricaine données actualisées chez lhomme (2000) Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot., 93, pp. 340-347
Ksiazek, T.G., West, C.P., Rollin, P.E., Jahrling, P.B., Peters, C.J., ELISA for the detection of antibodies to Ebola viruses (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S192-S198
Meunier, D.M.Y., Dupont, A., Madelon, M.C., Serological study of haemorrhagic fevers in the province of Haut-Ogooue, Gabon (1987) Annales de l'Institut Pasteur Virology, 138 (2), pp. 229-235
Bertherat, E., Renaut, A., Nabias, R., Dubreuil, G., Georges-Courbot, M.-C., Leptospirosis and Ebola virus infection in five gold-panning villages in northeastern Gabon (1999) American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 60 (4), pp. 610-615
Heffernan, R.T., Pambo, B., Hatchett, R.J., Leman, P.A., Swanepoel, R., Ryder, R.W., Low seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to Ebola virus in an epidemic zone: Ogooué-Ivindo region, northeastern Gabon, 1997 (2005) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 191 (6), pp. 964-968. , DOI 10.1086/427994
Lahm, S.A., Kombila, M., Swanepoel, R., Barnes, R.F.W., Morbidity and mortality of wild animals in relation to outbreaks of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon, 1994-2003 (2007) Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 101 (1), pp. 64-78. , DOI 10.1016/j.trstmh.2006.07.002, PII S0035920306002124
Pourrut, X., Kumulungui, B., Wittmann, T., Moussavou, G., Delicat, A., Yaba, P., Nkoghe, D., Leroy, E.M., The natural history of Ebola virus in Africa (2005) Microbes and Infection, 7 (7-8), pp. 1005-1014. , DOI 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.04.006, PII S1286457905001437
Rouquet, P., Froment, J.-M., Bermejo, M., Kilbourn, A., Karesh, W., Reed, P., Kumulungui, B., Leroy, E.M., Wild animal mortality monitoring and human ebola outbreaks, Gabon and Republic of Congo, 2001-2003 (2005) Emerging Infectious Diseases, 11 (2), pp. 283-290
Becquart, P., Wauquier, N., Mahlakõiv, T., High prevalence of both humoral and cellular immunity to Zaire ebolavirus among rural populations in Gabon (2010) PLoS One, 5, pp. e9126. , 10.1371/journal.- pone.0009126
Grands ensembles végétaux du Gabon (2004) Atlas du Gabon, , Collectif Editions du Jaguar Paris France
Wauquier, N., Becquart, P., Gasquet, C., Leroy, E.M., Immunoglobulin G in Ebola outbreak survivors Gabon (2009) Emerg. Infect. Dis., 15, pp. 1136-1137
Peterson, A.T., Bauer, J.T., Mills, J.N., Ecology and geographic distribution of filovirus disease (2004) Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10 (1), pp. 40-47
Lormeau, C., Falgarone, G., Roulot, D., Boissier, M.-C., Rheumatologic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C infection (2006) Joint Bone Spine, 73 (6), pp. 633-638. , DOI 10.1016/j.jbspin.2006.05.005, PII S1297319X06001904
Delmont, J., Clinical and biological aspects of arbovirus diseases (2003) Medecine et Maladies Infectieuses, 33 (11), pp. 545-548. , DOI 10.1016/S0399-077X(03)00236-1
Akue, J.P., Devaney, E., Transmission intensity affects both antigen-specific and nonspecific T-cell proliferative responses in Loa loa infection (2002) Infection and Immunity, 70 (3), pp. 1475-1480. , DOI 10.1128/IAI.70.3.1475-1480.2002
Baize, S., Wahl, G., Soboslay, P.T., Egwang, T.G., Georges, A.J., T helper responsiveness in human Loa loa infection defective specific proliferation and cytokine production by CD41 T cells from microfilaraemic subjects compared with amicrofilaraemics (1997) Clin. Exp. Immunol., 108, pp. 271-278
Leroy, E.M., Baize, S., Volchkov, V.E., Fisher-Hoch, S.P., Georges-Courbot, M.-C., Lansoud-Soukate, J., Capron, M., Georges, A.J., Human asymptomatic Ebola infection and strong inflammatory response (2000) Lancet, 355 (9222), pp. 2210-2215
Formenty, P., Hatz, C., Le Guenno, B., Stoll, A., Rogenmoser, P., Widmer, A., Human infection due to Ebola virus, subtype Cote d'Ivoire: Clinical and biologic presentation (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S48-S53
Miranda, M.E., Ksiazek, T.G., Retuya, T.J., Khan, A.S., Sanchez, A., Fulhorst, C.F., Rollin, P.E., Peters, C.J., Epidemiology of Ebola (subtype Reston) virus in the Philippines, 1996 (1999) Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179 (SUPPL. 1), pp. S115-S119
Leroy, E.M., Kumulungui, B., Pourrut, X., Rouquet, P., Hassanin, A., Yaba, P., Delicat, A., Swanepoel, R., Fruit bats as reservoirs of Ebola virus (2005) Nature, 438 (7068), pp. 575-576. , DOI 10.1038/438575a
Leroy, E.M., Epelboin, A., Mondonge, V., Gonzalez, J.P., Muyembe-Tamfum, J.J., Formenty, P., Human Ebola outbreak resulting from direct exposure to fruit bats in luebo democratic republic of congo 2007 (2009) Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis., 9, pp. 723-728
