The seroepidemiology of Haemophilus influenzae type b prior to introduction of an immunization programme in Kathmandu, Nepal

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 22;9(1):e85055. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085055. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is now recognized as an important pathogen in Asia. To evaluate disease susceptibility, and as a marker of Hib transmission before routine immunization was introduced in Kathmandu, 71 participants aged 7 months-77 years were recruited and 15 cord blood samples were collected for analysis of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only 20% of children under 5 years old had levels considered protective (>0.15 µg/ml), rising to 83% of 15-54 year-olds. Prior to introduction of Hib vaccine in Kathmandu, the majority of young children were susceptible to disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology
  • Bacterial Capsules / immunology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Haemophilus Infections / epidemiology
  • Haemophilus Infections / immunology*
  • Haemophilus Infections / microbiology
  • Haemophilus Vaccines / immunology*
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b / immunology*
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b / physiology
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunization Programs / methods*
  • Infant
  • Middle Aged
  • Nepal / epidemiology
  • Polysaccharides / immunology
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / immunology
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Vaccination / methods
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Haemophilus Vaccines
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine
  • Polysaccharides
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • polyribitol phosphate

Grants and funding

This project was funded by the Oxford Vaccine Group (www.ovg.ox.ac.uk) with support from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) (http://oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk). A.S.P. was funded by a Rhodes Scholarship. D.F.K. receives salary support from the NIHR BRC. These funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.