Population-Level Antibody Estimates to Novel Influenza A/H7N9

Boni, Maciej F.; Chau, Nguyen Van Vinh; Dong, Nguyen; Todd, Stacy; Nhat, Nguyen Thi Duy; de Bruin, Erwin; van Beek, Janko; Hien, Nguyen Tran; Simmons, Cameron P.; Farrar, Jeremy; Koopmans, Marion

There are no contemporary data available describing human immunity to novel influenza A/H7N9. Using 1723 prospectively collected serum samples in southern Vietnam, we tested for antibodies to 5 avian influenza virus antigens, using a protein microarray. General-population antibody titers against subtype H7 virus are higher than antibody titers against subtype H5 and lower than titers against H9. The highest titers were observed for human influenza virus subtypes. Titers to avian influenza virus antigens increased with age and with geometric mean antibody titer to human influenza virus antigens. There were no titer differences between the urban and the rural location in our study.