Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022
Abstract Background Several studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading worldwide during the last months of 2019 before the first outbreak was detected in Wuhan, China. Lombardy (Northern Italy) was the first European region with sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission and recent investigation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Virology Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02117-9 |
| _version_ | 1797578195593068544 |
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| author | Silvia Bianchi Clara Fappani Maria Gori Marta Canuti Daniela Colzani Maria Cristina Monti Camilla Torriani Mario C. Raviglione Gianvincenzo Zuccotti Elisabetta Tanzi Antonella Amendola |
| author_facet | Silvia Bianchi Clara Fappani Maria Gori Marta Canuti Daniela Colzani Maria Cristina Monti Camilla Torriani Mario C. Raviglione Gianvincenzo Zuccotti Elisabetta Tanzi Antonella Amendola |
| author_sort | Silvia Bianchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Several studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading worldwide during the last months of 2019 before the first outbreak was detected in Wuhan, China. Lombardy (Northern Italy) was the first European region with sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission and recent investigations detected SARS-CoV-2-RNA-positive patients in Lombardy since late 2019. Methods We tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG all serum samples available in our laboratory (N = 235, collected between March 2017 and March 2022) that we received within the framework of measles/rubella surveillance from measles and rubella virus-negative patients. Results Thirteen of 235 samples (5.5%) were IgG-positive. The positivity rate increased starting in 2019 and was significantly different from the expected false positive rate from 2019 onwards. Additionally, in 2019 the percentage of IgG-positive patients was significantly lower among SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative patients (3/92) compared to SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive patients (2/7, p = 0.04). The highest percentage of IgG positivity in the pre-pandemic period was recorded during the second half of 2019. This coincided with an increase in negativity for measles and a widening of the peak of the number of measles discarded cases per 100,000 inhabitants, indicating a higher-than-normal number of measles-negative patients experiencing fever and rash. This also coincided with the first patient positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (September 12th, 2019); this patient was also positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM. Conclusions Although the number of samples was low and one cannot conclusively establish that the virus started circulating in Lombardy around September 2019, our findings should stimulate similar research investigating the possibility of undetected SARS-CoV-2 pre-pandemic circulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:18:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b3583e404704497f8d891c0ba22e3269 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-422X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:18:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virology Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-b3583e404704497f8d891c0ba22e32692023-11-19T12:21:32ZengBMCVirology Journal1743-422X2023-07-012011510.1186/s12985-023-02117-9Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022Silvia Bianchi0Clara Fappani1Maria Gori2Marta Canuti3Daniela Colzani4Maria Cristina Monti5Camilla Torriani6Mario C. Raviglione7Gianvincenzo Zuccotti8Elisabetta Tanzi9Antonella Amendola10Department of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoCoordinated Research Center “EpiSoMI”, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoUnit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of PaviaUnit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of PaviaDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Paediatrics, Children Hospital V. Buzzi, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Health Sciences, Universita’ degli Studi di MilanoAbstract Background Several studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading worldwide during the last months of 2019 before the first outbreak was detected in Wuhan, China. Lombardy (Northern Italy) was the first European region with sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission and recent investigations detected SARS-CoV-2-RNA-positive patients in Lombardy since late 2019. Methods We tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG all serum samples available in our laboratory (N = 235, collected between March 2017 and March 2022) that we received within the framework of measles/rubella surveillance from measles and rubella virus-negative patients. Results Thirteen of 235 samples (5.5%) were IgG-positive. The positivity rate increased starting in 2019 and was significantly different from the expected false positive rate from 2019 onwards. Additionally, in 2019 the percentage of IgG-positive patients was significantly lower among SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative patients (3/92) compared to SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive patients (2/7, p = 0.04). The highest percentage of IgG positivity in the pre-pandemic period was recorded during the second half of 2019. This coincided with an increase in negativity for measles and a widening of the peak of the number of measles discarded cases per 100,000 inhabitants, indicating a higher-than-normal number of measles-negative patients experiencing fever and rash. This also coincided with the first patient positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (September 12th, 2019); this patient was also positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM. Conclusions Although the number of samples was low and one cannot conclusively establish that the virus started circulating in Lombardy around September 2019, our findings should stimulate similar research investigating the possibility of undetected SARS-CoV-2 pre-pandemic circulation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02117-9SARS-CoV-2COVID-19Pre-pandemicMeasles surveillanceVirus emergenceRash |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Bianchi Clara Fappani Maria Gori Marta Canuti Daniela Colzani Maria Cristina Monti Camilla Torriani Mario C. Raviglione Gianvincenzo Zuccotti Elisabetta Tanzi Antonella Amendola Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 Virology Journal SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Pre-pandemic Measles surveillance Virus emergence Rash |
| title | Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 |
| title_full | Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 |
| title_fullStr | Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 |
| title_short | Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017–2022 |
| title_sort | serological investigation of sars cov 2 infection in patients with suspect measles 2017 2022 |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Pre-pandemic Measles surveillance Virus emergence Rash |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02117-9 |
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