%0 Journal Article %J Epidemiol Infect %D 2019 %T The seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus infection in Belgium anno 2002 and 2006: a comparative analysis with hepatitis A virus seroprevalence %A Smit, G Suzanne A %A Steven Abrams %A Dorny, Pierre %A Speybroeck, Niko %A Brecht Devleesschauwer %A Veronik Hutse %A Hilde Jansens %A Heidi Theeten %A Beutels, Philippe %A Hens, Niel %K Cytomegalovirus %K estimating age and birth cohort-specific seroprevalence %K hepatitis A virus %K mixture modelling %K seroincidence %X

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is endemic worldwide but its seroprevalence varies widely. The goal of this study was to estimate the age-specific seroprevalence of CMV infection in Belgium based on two cross-sectional serological datasets from 2002 and 2006. The seroprevalence was estimated relying on diagnostic test results based on cut-off values pre-specified by the manufacturers of the tests as well as relying on mixture models applied to continuous pathogen-specific immunoglobulin G antibody titre concentrations. The age-specific seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), based on three Belgian cross-sectional serological datasets from 1993, 2002 and 2006, was used as a comparator since individuals acquire lifelong immunity upon recovery, implying an increasing seroprevalence with age. The age group weighted overall CMV seroprevalence derived from the mixture model was 32% (95% confidence interval (CI) 31-34%) in 2002 and 31% (95% CI 30-32%) in 2006. We demonstrated that CMV epidemiology differs from the immunizing infection HAV. This was the first large-scale study of CMV and HAV serial datasets in Belgium, estimating seroprevalence specified by age and birth cohort.

%B Epidemiol Infect %V 147 %8 2019 Jan %G eng %R 10.1017/S0950268819000487