Prevalence of antibodies against seasonal influenza A and B viruses in children in Netherlands

R Bodewes, G de Mutsert… - Clinical and Vaccine …, 2011 - Am Soc Microbiol
R Bodewes, G de Mutsert, FRM Van Der Klis, M Ventresca, S Wilks, DJ Smith, M Koopmans
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2011Am Soc Microbiol
To gain insight into the age at which children become infected with influenza viruses for the
first time, we analyzed the seroprevalence of antibodies against influenza viruses in children
0 to 7 years of age in the Netherlands. Serum samples were collected during a cross-
sectional population-based study in 2006 and 2007 and were tested for the presence of
antibodies against influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B viruses representative of viruses
present in previous influenza seasons using the hemagglutination inhibition assay. The …
Abstract
To gain insight into the age at which children become infected with influenza viruses for the first time, we analyzed the seroprevalence of antibodies against influenza viruses in children 0 to 7 years of age in the Netherlands. Serum samples were collected during a cross-sectional population-based study in 2006 and 2007 and were tested for the presence of antibodies against influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B viruses representative of viruses present in previous influenza seasons using the hemagglutination inhibition assay. The seroprevalence of antibodies to influenza virus was higher in children 1 to 6 months of age than in children 7 to 12 months of age, which likely reflects the presence of maternally derived antibodies. The proportion of study subjects >1 year of age with detectable antibodies against influenza viruses gradually increased with age until they reached the age of 6 years, when they all had antibodies to at least one influenza A virus. These findings may have implications for the development of vaccination strategies aiming at the protection of young children against seasonal and/or pandemic influenza virus infection.
American Society for Microbiology