Seroprevalence of three emerging arboviral infections in Kuwaiti Nationals

Diseases caused by dengue, sandfly fever and hanta viruses pose a major health risk in many countries. We determined the threat of these arboviral infections through a serologic using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based tests. Hantavirus-specific antibodies were also detected using immunofluorescence. Of 499 samples tested for dengue virus IgG antibodies l4% were as positive for dengue positive by all the ELISA tests. Among the 42 showing strong IgG reactivity, only 1 was positive for dengue virus IgM antibodies. All samples tested for IgG antibodies to sandfly fever virus were negative. Hantavirus antibodies were detected in 11% of the 46 samples from high-risk individuals. The low prevalences suggest that at present these infections are not a serious problem in Kuwait

Hantavirus-specific antibodies in rodents and humans living in kuwait

Hantaviruses are found in widely scattered areas of the world and are transmitted by inhalation of virus-contaminated aerosols of rodent excreta. The present study was undertaken in Kuwait to investigate the serological evidence for hantavirus infection in rodents and humans. Sera were collected from 283 wild rodents and 183 human subjects (46 Kuwaitis and 137 non-Kuwaitis). The rodent sera were investigated for the presence of antibodies against the Seoul and Puumala strains of the hantaviruses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence technique using the virus-infected Vero E6 cells. The findings showed the presence of anti-hantavirus antibodies in seven out of the 283 (2.8%) rodents. Antibodies against the Seoul strain were present in six (2.1%) and against the Puumala strain in three (1%) rodents. Further, it was observed that three out of 84 (3.6%) of the Rattus norvegicus and four out of 174 (2.3%) Mus musculus had anti-hantavirus antibodies. Two rodents belonging to species Mus musculus had antibodies against both strains of the hantaviruses. Out of 183 human sera, 13 (7%) were positive for hantavirus antibodies. Among the Kuwaitis 5/46 (11%) and among the non-Kuwaitis 8/137 (6%) were positive for the hantavirus antibodies. Antibodies to both Puumala and Hantaan strains were detected in Kuwaitis as well as in non-Kuwaitis. Although no human case of hantavirus illness has yet been reported in Kuwait, the serological evidence of infection suggests a constant vigil

Role of interleukin-12 in patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever

Interleukin (IL)-12 has a broad range of activities including regulation of cytokine synthesis and selective promotion of Th1-type cell development. A shift from a Th1-type response to Th2-type has been suggested to be important in the pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). This study was undertaken to investigate the possible role of IL-12 in this shift. A total of 76 patients with various grades of dengue illness and 21 normal healthy controls were tested for IL-12 levels in serum samples and IL-12 mRNA in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results showed that the levels of IL-12 were the highest in patients with dengue fever (270± 102 pg ml-1) followed by decreasing levels in the patients with DHF grade I (198± 86 pg ml-1; P<0.05) and DHF grade II (84± 52 pg ml-1; P<0.001). Neither IL-12 nor its mRNA could be detected in the patients with DHF grades III and IV. The cytokine appeared and reached peak levels during the first 4 days of illness, started to decline by day 5-8 and disappeared by day 9 onwards. The absence of IL-12 during severe illness and late phases of the disease may be responsible for the shift to a Th2-type response and thus for the pathogenesis of DHF

Role of interleukin-12 in patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever

Abstract Interleukin (IL)-12 has a broad range of activities including regulation of cytokine synthesis and selective promotion of Th1-type cell development. A shift from a Th1-type response to Th2-type has been suggested to be important in the pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). This study was undertaken to investigate the possible role of IL-12 in this shift. A total of 76 patients with various grades of dengue illness and 21 normal healthy controls were tested for IL-12 levels in serum samples and IL-12 mRNA in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results showed that the levels of IL-12 were the highest in patients with dengue fever (270 þ 102 pg ml 31 ) followed by decreasing levels in the patients with DHF grade I (198 þ 86 pg ml 31 ; P 6 0.05) and DHF grade II (84 þ 52 pg ml 31 ; P 6 0.001). Neither IL-12 nor its mRNA could be detected in the patients with DHF grades III and IV. The cytokine appeared and reached peak levels during the first 4 days of illness, started to decline by day 5^8 and disappeared by day 9 onwards. The absence of IL-12 during severe illness and late phases of the disease may be responsible for the shift to a Th2-type response and thus for the pathogenesis of DHF.

A study of dengue imported to Kuwait during 1997-1999

This study was carried out on sera from 210 patients in Kuwait in 1997-99. All of the patients were suffering from febrile illness and had recently visited dengue- (DEN) endemic areas. The sera were screened for DEN virus by inoculation into cultures of the Aedes albopictus cell clone C6/36 (virus isolation) and by IgM capture ELISA (detection of DEN virus-specific IgM antibodies). In the cell cultures, DEN virus could not be isolated from any of the patients' sera. However, sera from 19 patients were positive for DEN virus-specific IgM antibodies. All these 19 sera were tested for the presence of DEN virus-specific RNA by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using DEN virus types-common (consensus) primers. In addition, the type of DEN virus was identified by using type-specific primers in a semi-nested PCR. The results showed that 2 of the 19 patients were infected with DEN virus type 2. This report of 19 patients with serological evidence of DEN infection indicates that imported DEN is a real threat to Kuwait, a country non-endemic for DEN but with a large portion of the population vacationing in DEN-hyperendemic areas during the peak DEN season and then returning to Kuwait

Diarrhoeagenic <it>Escherichia coli </it>are not a significant cause of diarrhoea in hospitalised children in Kuwait

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The importance of diarrhoeagenic <it>Escherichia coli </it>(DEC) infections in the Arabian Gulf including Kuwait is not known. The prevalence of DEC (enterotoxigenic [ETEC], enteropathogenic [EPEC], enteroinvasive [EIEC], enterohemorrhagic [EHEC] and enteroaggregative [EAEC]) was studied in 537 children ≤ 5 years old hospitalised with acute diarrhoea and 113 matched controls from two hospitals during 2005–07 by PCR assays using <it>E. coli </it>colony pools.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of DEC varied from 0.75% for EHEC to 8.4% for EPEC (mostly atypical variety) in diarrhoeal children with no significant differences compared to that in control children (<it>P </it>values 0.15 to 1.00). Twenty-seven EPEC isolates studied mostly belonged to non-traditional serotypes and possessed β and θ intimin subtypes. A total of 54 DEC isolates from diarrhoeal children and 4 from controls studied for antimicrobial susceptibility showed resistance for older antimicrobials, ampicillin (0 to 100%), tetracycline (33 to 100%) and trimethoprim (22.2 to 100%); 43.1% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (resistant to 3 or more agents). Six (10.4%) DEC isolates produced extended spectrum β-lactamases and possessed genetic elements (<it>bla</it>_CTX-M, <it>bla</it>_TEMand IS<it>Ecp1</it>) associated with them.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We speculate that the lack of significant association of DEC with diarrhoea in children in Kuwait compared to countries surrounding the Arabian Gulf Region may be attributable to high environmental and food hygiene due to high disposable income in Kuwait.</p