The Seroincidence of Childhood Shigella Sonnei Infection in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Background: Shigella sonnei is a pathogen of growing global importance as a cause of diarrhoeal illness in childhood, particularly in transitional low-middle income countries (LMICs). Here, we sought to determine the incidence of childhood exposure to S. sonnei infection in a contemporary transitional LMIC population, where it represents the dominant Shigella species.

Methods: Participants were enrolled between the age of 12-36 months between June and December 2014. Baseline characteristics were obtained through standardized electronic questionnaires, and serum samples were collected at 6-month intervals over two years of follow-up. IgG antibody against S. sonnei O-antigen (anti-O) was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A four-fold increase in ELISA units (EU) with convalescent IgG titre >10.3 EU was taken as evidence of seroconversion between timepoints.

Results: A total of 3,498 serum samples were collected from 748 participants; 3,170 from the 634 participants that completed follow-up. Measures of anti-O IgG varied significantly by calendar month (p = 0.03). Estimated S. sonnei seroincidence was 21,451 infections per 100,000 population per year (95% CI 19,307-23,834), with peak incidence occurring at 12-18 months of age. Three baseline factors were independently associated with the likelihood of seroconversion; ever having breastfed (aOR 2.54, CI 1.22-5.26), history of prior hospital admission (aOR 0.57, CI 0.34-0.95), and use of a toilet spray-wash in the household (aOR 0.42, CI 0.20-0.89).

Conclusions: Incidence of S. sonnei exposure in Ho Chi Minh City is substantial, with significant reduction in the likelihood of exposure as age increases beyond 2 years.