Seroprevalence of coxsackievirus B3 in Yantai, China

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is an important human pathogen, which is frequently associated with aseptic meningitis and encephalitis in many parts of the world. However, the seroprevalence of this viral infection in China is not well understood; therefore, in the present study, we conducted a serological survey in which 373 serum samples obtained from healthy people belonging to 10 age groups in Yantai city, China were examined. The results revealed that CVB3 is widely distributed in the population with a seroprevalence of 52.3%. The seroprevalence of CVB3 was lowest (3.7%) in the group aged 8-12 months and >50% in all groups aged >15 years. A significant increase (P < 0.001) was observed among the successive four groups aged 1, 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10 years. Variation of geometric mean titer related to age showed similar tendencies. Our results indicated that CVB3 infections occurred mostly in preschool and early-elementary school settings, and children <5 years of age are the most susceptible populations due to their low CVB3 antibody levels.