HEPATITIS-C AND ARBOVIRSAL ANTIBODIES IN THE ISLAND POPULATIONS OF MAURITIUS AND RODRIGUES

A serological survey for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV), dengue viruses (DEN), West Nile virus (WN), and sindbis virus (SIN) was carr ied out in sera of selected groups of the population of the Islands of Mauritius (n = 449) and Rodrigues (n = 115), Indian Ocean. 8.3% of 56 4 sera were positive for anti-HCV. in Mauritius, 2.1% of sera of healt hy individuals were found with anti-HCV. The highest prevalence was fo und in sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients and prison inmates with 46.2% and 43.8%, respectively. None of the sera from blood donors sampled from Rodrigues island had anti-HCV. Antibodies to arboviruses were detected in sera of individuals from both islands. Anti-DEN IgG was detected in 3.8% of sera from Mauritius a nd 0.9% from Rodrigues. Anti-WN IgG was detected in 2.2% of sera from Mauritius and 0.9% from Rodrigues. All sera from Rodrigues were without anti-SIN IgG, 1.1% of those from Mauritius were positive. This suggests that arboviruses occ ur on these islands. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.