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EBV antibody prevalence decreased from 2003 to 2010
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Antibody prevalence for Epstein-Barr virus has declined in US children from 2003-2004 to 2009-2010, according to recent study findings published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
“Another important finding was that antibody prevalence across all age groups was substantially higher in non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans, who had essentially the same high age-specific antibody prevalence,” Henry H. Balfour Jr., MD, of the University of Minnesota, and colleagues wrote. “The greatest disparity in antibody prevalence was among the younger children, especially the 6- to 8-year-olds. Family environment and/or social practices may differ among white and non-white families, which could account for this disparity in antibody prevalence.”
Henry H. Balfour Jr.
The study included 9,338 children aged 6 to 19 years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Participants’ sera was tested for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies by enzyme immunoassay, a random portion was also tested by indirect immunofluorescence.
Researchers found enzyme immunoassay concordance with indirect immunofluorescence was 96.7%. Prevalence of age-adjusted EBV antibody declined from 72% in 2003-2004 to 65% in 2009-2010 (P=.027). During 2009-2010, prevalence by age group was 50% for participants aged 6 to 8 years; 55% for aged 9 to 11 years; 59% for aged 12 to 14 years; 69% for aged 15 to 17 years; and 89% for aged 18 to 19 years. Younger age, health insurance coverage, higher household income and education were significantly associated with lower prevalence within each race/ethnicity group.
“The two important findings of our study are that non-Hispanic white children acquired their first infection with Epstein-Barr virus at an older age than non-Hispanic blacks or Mexican Americans, and the prevalence of EBV infections in U.S. children is declining at a rate of about 1% per year,” Balfour told Infectious Diseases in Children. “Both these observations have implications for immunization policy should an EBV vaccine come to field trials.”
Henry H. Balfour, Jr., MD, can be reached at balfo001@umn.edu.
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the University of Minnesota International Center for Antiviral Research and Epidemiology, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, and MedImmune LLC. Some researchers report financial relationships with the University of Minnesota and MedImmune LLC.
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