Infection by certain arboviruses among workers potentially at risk of infection

Egyptian workers at sewage treatment plants [STPs] work and live in areas highly infested with arthropods. Most of these diseases cause, febrile, influenza like illness, headache, backache, abdominal pain and fatigue. To determine arboviral etiology in those workers, 264 serum samples were obtained from them in four STPs during January and October 1999. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was performed for immunoglobulins [IgG and IgM] for the detection of West Nile [WN], Sindbis [SIN], Rift Valley fever [RVF], Sandfly Naples [SFN] and Sandfly Sicilian [SFS] viruses. The results showed that WN has the highest prevalence [54.14%], followed by SFN [21.97%], then RVF [7.95%]; while only one recent infection for each of RVF, SFS and SFN [0.38%] and three cases of SIN viruses were detected. Out of the four STPs Helwan workers' exhibited the highest infection rate for most of the studied arboviruses [WN, SFN, SIN and SFS]