1. Is Italian population protected from Poliovirus? Results of a seroprevalence survey in Florence, Italy
- Author
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Emilia Tiscione, Antonino Nastasi, Floriana Bonura, Irene Bellini, Sara Boccalini, Sara Li Muli, Simona De Grazia, Noemi Urone, Giovanni M. Giammanco, Angela Bechini, and Giammanco G.M., Bechini A., Urone N., Bonura F., Li Muli S., De Grazia S., Bellini I., Tiscione E., Boccalini S., Nastasi A.
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Adult ,Male ,Settore MED/07 - Microbiologia E Microbiologia Clinica ,IPV vaccine ,Italy ,OPV vaccine ,poliomyelitis ,seroprevalence ,Adolescent ,030106 microbiology ,Population ,poliomyeliti ,Immunology ,medicine.disease_cause ,Antibodies, Viral ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Seroepidemiologic Studies ,Environmental health ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Seroprevalence ,Immunology and Allergy ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Child ,Aged ,Pharmacology ,Aged, 80 and over ,education.field_of_study ,Poliovirus ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Italian population ,Poliomyelitis ,Vaccination ,Geography ,Child, Preschool ,Female ,Research Paper - Abstract
Objectives: Periodical assessments of population susceptibility to polioviruses (PV) is essential for evaluating population protection and planning appropriate vaccination strategies. The aim of the current work was to assess serological protective titers against all three polioviruses in the general population of Florence. Methods: A convenience sample of 328 sera, collected in 2009 in Florence (Central Italy) was analyzed. Samples were considered protective if neutralizing antibodies were detected at dilutions ≥1:8, according to the WHO protocols. Results: The immune coverage was 75.3%, 69.2% and 46% for PV1, PV2 and PV3, respectively. The protective titers of neutralizing antibodies were generally higher in children up to 14 years of age, with 74.4% (PV1), 75.6% (PV2) and 56.7% (PV3) of seroprevalence. From the age of 11 years, most of the study subjects were seronegative for PV3. Conclusions: In a polio-free country with strong migration pressures, such as Italy, our results bring clear support to the recent recommendation of Italian health authorities to introduce a fifth dose of IPV vaccine in adolescence all over the country.
- Published
- 2018