Authors
Sira Jam Munira, Naito Kanon, Nahidul Islam, Md Shakiul Kabir, Anik Sarkar, Shamsul Alam Polash, Hafizur Rahman, Alice S Carter, Richelle C Charles, Jason R Andrews, Stephen P Luby, Kristen Aiemjoy, Denise O Garrett, Samir K Saha, Jessica C Seidman, Senjuti Saha
Background
Enteric fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi or Paratyphi, is a major public health issue in low- and middle-income countries. Accurate burden estimation is hampered by limited microbiological facilities and low sensitivity of blood-culture tests. Serosurveillance offers a scalable alternative to address these challenges. This study estimated the seroincidence of enteric fever in Bangladesh using cross-sectional rapid serosurveys.
Methods
School-based surveys (January–June 2022) were conducted in Chattogram, Dinajpur, Sylhet, Satkhira, and Faridpur, and community-based surveys (July 2019–November 2021) were conducted in Dhaka and Mirzapur. Blood samples (dried blood spots or venous blood) were collected and tested for anti-hemolysin E IgG responses using a kinetic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seroincidence was estimated using a maximum likelihood approach based on peak antibody titers and decay rates, modeled from blood-culture confirmed enteric fever cases in Bangladesh.
Findings
A total of 2969 participants aged 0–22 years were enrolled, with 75.5% aged 5–15 years. Seroincidence rates (per 100 person-years) were highest in Dhaka (33.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 29.0–37.9), followed by Mirzapur (19.5; 95% CI, 17.4–21.7) and Chattogram (17.1; 95% CI, 15.0–19.4), and the lowest in Faridpur (11.1; 95% CI, 9.6–12.7). The under 5 age group exhibited higher rates in Dhaka (40.3; 95% CI, 32.1–50.7) and Mirzapur (26.1; 95% CI, 21.0–32.4) compared to older age groups. Seroincidence was higher in areas with higher population density.
This study highlights a substantial burden of enteric fever infections across Bangladesh. These provide important evidence to guide post-introduction monitoring and optimization of the typhoid conjugate vaccine program in the national immunization schedule.
