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A population-based serological survey of Vibrio cholerae antibody titers in Ouest Department, Haiti in the year prior to the 2022 cholera outbreak

Clutter, C. H.; Klarman, M. B.; Cajusma, Y.; Cato, E. T.; Sayeed, M. A.; Brinkley, L.; Jensen, O.; Baril, C.; Beau De Rochars, V. M.; Azman, A. S.; Long, M. T.; Cummings, D. A. T.; Leung, D. T.; Nelson, E. J.

2023-02-08 public and global health
10.1101/2023.02.06.23285537 medRxiv
Show abstract

After three years with no confirmed cholera cases in Haiti, an outbreak of Vibrio cholerae O1 emerged in October 2022. Levels of pre-existing antibodies provide an estimate of prior immunologic exposure, reveal potentially relevant immune responses, and set a baseline for future serosurveillance. We analyzed dried blood spots collected in 2021 from a population-weighted representative cross-sectional serosurvey in two communes in the Ouest Department of Haiti. We found lower levels of circulating IgG and IgA antibodies against V. cholerae lipopolysaccharide (LPS, IgG and IgA p<0.0001) in those below 5 years of age compared to those five years and older. Among a subset of patients with higher titers of antibodies, we were unable to detect any functional (vibriocidal) antibodies. In conclusion, the lack of detectable functional antibodies, and age-discordant levels of V. cholerae LPS IgG, suggest that populations in Haiti may be highly susceptible to cholera disease, especially among young children.

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