PREVALENCE OF SAND FLY FEVER, WEST NILE, CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC-FEVER, AND LEPTOSPIROSIS ANTIBODIES IN PAKISTANI MILITARY PERSONNEL

To determine the prevalence of antibodies to viral diseases known or s uspected to be present in Pakistan, we studied 570 sera from three gro ups of adults; two of the groups were involved in outbreaks of hepatit is, and the third included men admitted to a hospital for evaluation o f febrile illnesses, Immunoglobulin G antileptospiral antibody was fou nd in 1 to 6% of the subjects, with the highest rate in enlisted milit ary personnel hospitalized for febrile illness, One man in the group w ith febrile illness had significantly elevated immunoglobulin M antile ptospiral antibody titers. However, in a group of recruits experiencin g suspected non-A, non-B hepatitis, 19 (11%) of 173 had a 4-fold rise in immunoglobulin M antibody to leptospirosis. Antibody to sand fly fe ver viruses was found in 27 to 70%, Antibody to West Nile virus was pr esent in 33 to 41% of subjects, Antibody reactive with Japanese enceph alitis virus was present in 25%, but plaque reduction neutralization t ests suggested this to be cross-reaction with West Nile virus, All 212 specimens tested for antibody to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Hantaan viruses were negative, This study indicates that diseases know n to be prevalent in other areas of southwest Asia and the Middle East are also prevalent in northern Pakistan and may impact on those trave ling or working in this area.