Seroepidemiological evidence of widespread enteroviral infection in Anambra State, Nigeria

Serum samples from 339 apparently healthy subjects, 298 adult blood donors and 41 infants aged 21 months and below, were screened for neutralising activity against poliovirus 1 and Coxsackieviruses A7 and B4. Among the adult serum samples 85% showed high activity (greater than or equal to 320) against poliovirus 1 while frequencies of similar activities were 65% and 64% for Coxsackieviruses A7 and B4 respectively. About 60% showed multiple activity against all three viruses; 15% against both Coxsackieviruses A7 and B4, and less than 5% for Coxsackievirus A7 and poliovirus 1, and Coxsackievirus B4 and poliovirus 1, respectively. Similar activities were detected in the sera of the infants. These show that enterovirus infections are endemic, multiple infections being the rule.