Seroepidemiology of enterovirus D68 in a healthy population in Beijing, China, between 2012 and 2017: A retrospective study

Abstract

Objectives To investigate the seroepidemiological features of enterovirus D68 (EV‐D68) in the healthy population from 2012 to 2017 in Beijing City, China. Methods A retrospective cross‐sectional investigation was conducted using serum specimens collected from healthy individuals in Beijing from 2012 to 2017. These samples were tested for neutralization antibodies (NtAbs) against EV‐D68. The sera from six EV‐D68 infected patients in the acute or convalescent phase were used to determine the protection level of NtAbs against EV‐D68. Results The geometric means of the titers (GMT) of EV‐D68 NtAbs in 2012 and 2017 were 92.82 and 242.91, respectively; the seroprevalences of EV‐D68 were 89.43% and 98.43%, respectively. The GMT reached its peak in the 11‐15 age group in 2012, while in 16‐20 age group in 2017. We also observed that EV‐D68 NtAbs titers of six sera from the acute phase were all ≤ 1:64 and that of three sera from the convalescent phase were all > 1:64. Conclusions Anti‐EV‐D68 NtAbs in the population remained low from 2012 to 2016 but increased significantly in 2017. Although most of the EV‐D68 infections remain undetected in Beijing, the risk of a large outbreak of EV‐D68 exists and should be taken seriously.