SARS-CoV-2 in eight municipalities of the Colombian tropics: high immunity, clinical and sociodemographic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Serological evaluation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an alternative that allows us to determine the prevalence and dynamics of this infection in populations. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical and sociodemographic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a region of the Colombian Caribbean. METHODS: Between July and November 2020, a cross-sectional observational study was carried out in Córdoba, located in northeast Colombia in the Caribbean area. Eight municipalities with the largest populations were chosen and 2564 blood samples were taken. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used with the recombinant protein antigen N of SARS-CoV-2. The people included in the study were asked for sociodemographic and clinical data, which were analysed by statistical methods. RESULTS: A seroprevalence of 40.8% was obtained for SARS-CoV-2 in the Córdoba region. In the bivariate analysis, no differences were observed in seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 for gender or age range (p>0.05). Higher seropositivity was found in low socio-economic status and symptomatic patients (p<0.0001). A total of 30.7% of the asymptomatic patients were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2, which could be linked to the spread of this infection. In the multivariate analysis, seroconversion was related to poverty and clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The high seropositivity in Córdoba is due to widespread SARS-CoV-2 in this population. The relationship between seropositivity and socio-economic status suggests a higher exposure risk to the virus caused by informal economic activities in low-income groups. Clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia could be clinical predictors of infection by the new emergent coronavirus.

High Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in an Indigenous Community of the Colombian Amazon Region.

Introduction. COVID-19 is a pathology caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported more than 225 million cases and 4.5 million deaths worldwide. Objective: To describe the seropositivity, spatial distribution, and clinical and sociodemographic variables of SARS-CoV-2 in a community of the Colombian Amazon region. Methods. In December 2020, a cross-sectional observational study was carried out in a population located in the Colombian Amazon in the municipality of Mitú. Sociodemographic and clinical data were taken. Besides, 589 blood samples were taken, and an antibody detection was carried out with an ELISA and a recombinant protein N antigen of SARS-CoV-2. Results. A seropositivity of 57.6% was observed. The highest proportion of the infection is located in inter-municipal transport zones. The bivariate analysis did not show differences in the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate concerning the variables sex, age range, and the presence of comorbidities (p > 0.05). The bivariate and multivariate analysis showed that being symptomatic and presenting neurological manifestations of the upper respiratory tract are clinical variables associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (p < 0.05). One of the causes of this virus's high spread in this community could be that 53.3% of the people were asymptomatic. Conclusions. Our data showed a high burden and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the indigenous community. This could be linked to cultural behaviors and the high infection rate in asymptomatic patients.

Eco-epidemiology of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in bats of Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia.

Alphavirus infection associated encephalitis is an emerging infectious disease with a high impact on public health in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: To study the eco-epidemiology of alphaviruses in bats of departments of Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia. METHODOLOGY: A prospective descriptive cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sampling, in 12 localities of Córdoba and Sucre was carried out. Using mist nets capture of the specimens was carried out. The size of the sample was 286 bats, each specimen captured was taxonomically classified. The bats were immobilized with anesthetic and analgesic treatment according to the ethics committee of the University of Córdoba, morphometric measurements and blood samples were taken, later they were necropsied in the field to obtain a collection of tissues which were preserved in liquid N2 -190 °C. The averages of the climatic conditions of the sampling sites were extracted from the WorldClim database (http://www.worldclim.org/). The open source software QGIS (Quantum GIS Development Team.2015) was used to map and visualize bioclimatic regions of Córdoba. We used descriptive and retrospective information about the equine population and reports of foci of equine encephalitis. RESULTS: In Córdoba and Sucre, 286 bats were captured and 23 species were classified, Artibeus and Phyllostomus discolor were the most frequent captured genus. The geographic ranges of the captured species were variable, some had a wide distribution and others were restricted to some areas. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus RNA was detected in Artibeus planirostris and Sturnira lilium (2/286 = 0.70%) from Cordoba - Colombia. The univariate descriptive analysis showed no significant association for any of the analyzed variables climatic. CONCLUSIONS: Frugivorous bats from the Caribbean area of Colombia may be involved in the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus enzootic cycle.

Clinical and Epidemiological Status of Leptospirosis in a Tropical Caribbean Area of Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze the clinical and epidemiological status in 28 confirmed cases of human leptospirosis at the main public hospital of Cordoba. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2013, we conducted an active surveillance at the main hospital of Cordoba to establish the etiologic diagnosis of the undifferentiated tropical febrile illness (UTFI) cases. UTFI is defined as a fever without an infection focus in the initial physical examination or in basic laboratory tests. Patients in acute phase were accompanied by prodromal symptoms, including myalgia, arthralgia, headache, asthenia, chills, icterus, dyspnea, abdominal pain, rash, and nausea. Samples were collected on admission and at discharge. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected for each patient. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was performed. RESULTS: The 28 leptospirosis cases presented the following gender distribution: male (n=24) and female (n=4). The duration of hospitalization was 10.39 days. The main symptoms and clinical manifestations were fever, headache and nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, all of which occurred in up to 60% of patients. Of the 28 cases studied, 4 were fatal. The most frequent infecting serogroups were Ballum and Canicola. CONCLUSION: Leptospirosis is a common cause of undifferentiated tropical febrile illness in Colombia; it is important to establish ongoing and accurate surveillance for acute febrile illness to facilitate the detection of cases of leptospirosis.