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Epidemiology of Sindbis virus infections in Finland 1981–96: possible factors explaining a peculiar disease pattern

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2002

M. BRUMMER-KORVENKONTIO ,
O. VAPALAHTI ,
P. KUUSISTO ,
P. SAIKKU ,
T. MANNI ,
P. KOSKELA ,
T. NYGREN ,
H. BRUMMER-KORVENKONTIO  and
A. VAHERI
M. BRUMMER-KORVENKONTIO
Affiliation:
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
O. VAPALAHTI
Affiliation:
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland HUCH Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki, Finland
P. KUUSISTO
Affiliation:
Ilomantsi Health Care Centre, Ilomantsi, Finland
P. SAIKKU
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Oulu, Finland
T. MANNI
Affiliation:
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
P. KOSKELA
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Oulu, Finland
T. NYGREN
Affiliation:
Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Game Research Station, Ilomantsi, Finland
H. BRUMMER-KORVENKONTIO
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
A. VAHERI
Affiliation:
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland HUCH Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki, Finland
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Abstract

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Pogosta disease (PD), an epidemic rash-arthritis occurring in late summer is caused by Sindbis virus (SINV) and is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Altogether 2183 PD cases were serologically confirmed 1981–96 in Finland, with an annual incidence of 2.7/100000 (18 in the most endemic area of Northern Karelia). The annual average was 136 (varying from 1 to 1282) with epidemics occurring in August–September with a 7-year interval. Studies on 6320 patients with suspected rubella (1973–89) revealed 107 PD cases. The depth of snow cover and the temperature in May–July seemed to predict the number of cases. The morbidity was highest in 45- to 65-year-old females and lowest in children. Subclinical SINV infections were 17 times more common than the clinical ones. The SINV-antibody prevalence in fertile-age females was 0.6% in 1992; the estimated seroprevalence in Finland is about 2%. Among game animals the tetraonids (black grouse and capercaillie) had the highest seroprevalence (65%) in the epidemic year of 1981.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 129 , Issue 2 , October 2002 , pp. 335 - 345
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press