SEROLOGIC SURVEY FOR ST. LOUIS ENCEPHALITIS AND OTHER GROUP B ARBOVIRUS ANTIBODIES IN RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS1

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Abstract
Henderson, B. E. (Arbovirus Unit, NCDC, Atlanta, Ga. 30333), C A. Pigford, T. Work and R. D. Wende. Serologic survey for St. Louis encephalitis and other Group B arbovirus antibodies in residents of Houston, Texas. Amer. J. Epid., 1970, 97: 87–98.—The major outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) in the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas in 1964 was the first known appearance of this disease in that city, and the occurrence of 243 laboratory-documented cases establish it as one of the largest of SLE on record. However, serologic evaluation was complicated by cross reacting heterologous Group B antibody from old dengue infection and yellow fever immunization. A combination of hemagglutinin-inhibition, complement-fixation and mouse neutralization tests was used to define specific SLE antibody in 3, 255 sera collected from several types of survey populations. Overall, 16.6% of the population in the central part of the city showed serologic evidence of SLE infection; the antibody prevalence varied from 4.5%–33.2% according to particular district. There was no apparent difference in SLE antibody prevalence by age, although the clinical disease was reported primarily in older persons. The inapparent: apparent infection ratio was calculated to be approximately 250: 1.

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