PESQUISA DE ANTICORPOS FIXADORES DE COMPLEMENTO PARA VÍRUS RESPIRATÓRIO SINCICIAL EM GRUPOS DA POPULAÇÃO DO TERRITÓRIO FEDERAL DO AMAPA, BRASIL

Abstract

Groups of sera from inhabitants of the locality of Serra do Navio, in the Federal Territory of Amapá (Brazil), were examined for complement fixing antibodies for syncytial respiratory virus. The first group comprised sera collected in 1963 from 396 persons (74.02% of the 5-19 year olcl population). The results showed 22.7% positive at titers e qual to or greater than 8. The percentage o f positive ser a increased from 18.6 in the 5-9 years of age group to 33.7 in the 15-19 year old group. The second group was composed of sera of 147 inclividuals belonging to the first one and from which bloorl was drawn twice, in February and July o f 1963. I t was revealed by, at least, a 4-fold elcvation of the antibody titer, that among them, in this period of time, there were, at least, 23 cases of RS vints infection, an incidence, at least, o f 16.8%. The third group comprised 58 22-49 year old individuals, whose blood was collected in 1965; 75.8% of their sera was positive at titers equal to or greater than 8 and the results, also in this group, suggested an increase of positivity with age. These findings show a wide dissemination of RS vírus infection in a population of a 1ocality situated in a dearing in the Amazon jungle, at 1° Northern latitude.