A dual-method assessment of West Nile and Chikungunya viruses in blood donations from Fars province, southwestern Iran

IF 2.4 Q3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-08-20 DOI:10.1016/j.parepi.2026.e00538

Mohsen Kalantari, Hadis Bagheri, Kourosh Azizi, Hamzeh Alipour, Leila Kasraian, Sorna Dabaghmanesh, Saeed Shahabi, Azim Paksa

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Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are emerging arboviral threats with potential implications for blood transfusion safety. This study investigated the prevalence of active viremia and past exposure to these viruses among blood donors in Fars province, southwestern Iran. Between December 2023 and September 2024, a cross-sectional survey enrolled 314 asymptomatic blood donors from transfusion centers in Shiraz and Jahrom. Whole blood specimens underwent RNA extraction and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting WNV polyprotein and CHIKV envelope E1 genes. Serum samples were tested for virus-specific IgM and IgG antibodies using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). No confirmatory neutralization testing was performed. None of the 314 donations yielded detectable WNV or CHIKV RNA by RT-PCR. Using the rule of three for zero-event samples, the upper 95% confidence bound for true viremia prevalence was estimated at 0.96% per virus. Serological testing identified 12 donors (3.82%) with WNV IgG antibodies, while no samples tested positive for CHIKV IgG or for IgM antibodies against either virus. Among seropositive cases, 9 originated from Shiraz (4.3% site prevalence) and 3 from Jahrom (2.9% site prevalence). The majority of WNV IgG-positive donors were male (11/12, 91.7%) and engaged in outdoor occupations such as farming or manual labor (10/12, 83.3%). All 12 positive ELISA results were reproducible upon duplicate retesting. Active viremic infections with WNV or CHIKV were absent among 314 blood donors in southwestern Iran during the study period, indicating a low transfusion-transmission risk at that time within the limitations of a single cross-sectional survey. Confirmatory neutralization testing was not performed; therefore, seroprevalence estimates are presumptive. However, the detection of WNV IgG in nearly 4% of donors provides serological evidence of prior community exposure. These findings support the need for ongoing integrated arboviral surveillance incorporating human, vector, and reservoir populations, particularly among occupationally exposed groups.

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伊朗西南部法尔斯省献血中西尼罗河病毒和基孔肯雅病毒的双重方法评估

西尼罗河病毒（WNV）和基孔肯雅病毒（CHIKV）是新出现的虫媒病毒威胁，对输血安全具有潜在影响。本研究调查了伊朗西南部法尔斯省献血者中活动性病毒血症的流行情况和过去接触过这些病毒的情况。在2023年12月至2024年9月期间，一项横断面调查从设拉子和雅罗姆的输血中心招募了314名无症状献血者。对全血标本进行RNA提取，并针对西尼罗河病毒多蛋白和奇kv包膜E1基因进行逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）。采用商用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测血清样本中病毒特异性IgM和IgG抗体。未进行确证性中和试验。314份供体均未通过RT-PCR检测到西尼罗河病毒或CHIKV RNA。使用零事件样本的三法则，估计每种病毒的真实病毒血症流行率的95%置信上限为0.96%。血清学检测发现12名献血者（3.82%）携带西尼罗河病毒IgG抗体，而没有样品检测出CHIKV IgG或针对任何一种病毒的IgM抗体阳性。血清阳性病例中，9例来自设拉子（4.3%），3例来自雅罗姆（2.9%）。大多数西尼罗河病毒igg阳性献血者为男性（11/12,91.7%），从事农业或体力劳动等户外职业（10/12,83.3%）。所有12例ELISA阳性结果均可重复检测。在研究期间，伊朗西南部314名献血者中未出现西尼罗河病毒或CHIKV的活动性病毒感染，这表明在单次横断面调查的限制下，当时的输血传播风险较低。未进行验证性中和试验；因此，血清患病率估计是假定的。然而，在近4%的献血者中检测到西尼罗河病毒IgG提供了先前社区接触的血清学证据。这些发现支持了持续进行虫媒病毒综合监测的必要性，包括人类、媒介和宿主种群，特别是在职业暴露人群中。

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来源期刊

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

3.10%

发文量

审稿时长

17 weeks

期刊介绍： Parasite Epidemiology and Control is an Open Access journal. There is an increasing amount of research in the parasitology area that analyses the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. This epidemiology of parasite infectious diseases is predominantly studied in human populations but also spans other major hosts of parasitic infections and as such this journal will have a broad remit. We will focus on the major areas of epidemiological study including disease etiology, disease surveillance, drug resistance and geographical spread and screening, biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects in clinical trials for both human and other animals. We will also look at the epidemiology and control of vector insects. The journal will also cover the use of geographic information systems (Epi-GIS) for epidemiological surveillance which is a rapidly growing area of research in infectious diseases. Molecular epidemiological approaches are also particularly encouraged.