RESUMO
AIMS: To determine whether individuals from two rural communities with heavy exposure to the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) developed antibodies to this virus. METHODS: Sera were assayed using competition ELISA (cELISA) and solid phase ELISA (spELISA). Exposure estimates were based on answers to an interviewer administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 104 participants, 79 were considered to have experienced high or medium exposure, many of whom described specific exposures. There were 58 people who reported contact with RHDV infected bait, organ homogenate mixtures or rabbit body fluids. A one-way analysis of variance (Kruskal Wallis) found that human cELISA results were differently distributed from both strongly RHDV positive rabbits (chi2(1) = 27.37, p < 0.001) and weakly RHDV positive rabbits (chi2(1) = 27.35, p < 0.001). The distribution of assay results in each exposure group did not differ in either cELISA (chi2(2) = 2.49, p = 0.29) or spELISA (chi2(2) = 1.70, p = 0.43). Relatively fewer results were categorised as reactive (two 'barely' positive and two doubtful) than in a previous survey of 493 unexposed people. None of the five positive results categorised by the less specific spELISA occurred in people described as 'barely' positive or doubtful by cELISA. CONCLUSIONS. No serological evidence of infection with RHDV was found in a cohort including many heavily exposed individuals.