Evaluation of serological cross-reactivity between yellow fever and other flaviviruses

This study was performed to determine whether neutralizing antibodies against yellow fever virus (YFV) generated by YFV vaccine could interfere in the specificity of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) IgG ELISA tests.

Seventy-nine pairs of serum samples (pre- and post-vaccination), collected during the years 1997-1998 from children with no history of yellow fever disease who had been vaccinated against YFV, were tested. The seroconversion post-vaccination was evaluated through plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), and four different commercial ELISA kits were used for the detection of DENV and ZIKV IgG antibodies.

A cross-reactivity rate of 3.9% with DENV IgG antibodies was found only with the Dengue Virus IgG Dx Select kit (Focus Diagnostics).

As several countries have local transmission of multiple arboviruses, the absence of cross-reactivity or minimum cross-reactivity of YFV neutralizing antibodies with DENV and ZIKV antigens is a relevant finding, since the interpretation of sero-epidemiological investigations would be seriously impacted in many regions where YFV vaccination is mandatory.