Seroprevalence of Flavivirus Neutralizing Antibodies in Thailand by High-Throughput Neutralization Assay: Endemic Circulation of Zika Virus before 2012
Atsushi Yamanaka, Mami Matsuda, Tamaki Okabayashi, Pannamthip Pitaksajjakul, Pongrama Ramasoota, Kyoko Saito, Masayoshi Fukasawa, Kentaro Hanada, Tomokazu Matsuura, Masamichi Muramatsu, Tatsuo Shioda, Ryosuke Suzuki
Abstract
Neutralization tests are the most reliable assay for flavivirus antibody detection; however, these assays are not suitable for high-throughput processing due to their time-consuming and labor-intensive nature. In this study, we developed single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) with a luciferase gene for dengue virus types 1 to 4, Japanese encephalitis virus, and Zika virus for use in a safe, high-throughput neutralization assay. We performed neutralization tests against multiple flaviviruses using 147 serum samples that were collected from healthy donors residing in four distinct regions of Thailand in 2011 to 2012. The assay was useful for surveys of flavivirus seroprevalence. The data revealed that dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) and DENV-2 were the predominant circulating flaviviruses in Thailand and that Zika virus has been circulating at a sustained level in Thailand since before 2012.