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Meta-Analysis
. 2006 Apr;134(2):211-21.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268805004826.

Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-coronavirus in asymptomatic or subclinical population groups

G M Leung  1 , W W Lim, L-M Ho, T-H Lam, A C Ghani, C A Donnelly, C Fraser, S Riley, N M Ferguson, R M Anderson, A J Hedley
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-coronavirus in asymptomatic or subclinical population groups

G M Leung et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Apr.

Abstract

We systematically reviewed the current understanding of human population immunity against SARS-CoV in different groups, settings and geography. Our meta-analysis, which included all identified studies except those on wild animal handlers, yielded an overall seroprevalence of 0.10% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.18]. Health-care workers and others who had close contact with SARS patients had a slightly higher degree of seroconversion (0.23%, 95% CI 0.02-0.45) compared to healthy blood donors, others from the general community or non-SARS patients recruited from the health-care setting (0.16%, 95% CI 0-0.37). When analysed by the two broad classes of testing procedures, it is clear that serial confirmatory test protocols resulted in a much lower estimate (0.050%, 95% CI 0-0.15) than single test protocols (0.20%, 95% CI 0.06-0.34). Potential epidemiological and laboratory pitfalls are also discussed as they may give rise to false or inconsistent results in measuring the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Agent–vector–host triangle of infectious diseases.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plots of seroprevalence estimates stratified by a priori risk of infection under a random-effects model. The seroprevalence for individual studies is shown as solid squares scaled according to weighting by using the inverse variance method. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. The combined seroprevlence estimates are shown as diamonds that span the 95% CI (* truncated at zero).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plots of seroprevalence estimates (excluding wild animal handlers) stratified by laboratory test strategies under a random-effects model. The seroprevalence for individual studies is shown as solid squares scaled according to weighting by using the inverse variance method. Error bars indicate 95 % CIs. The combined seroprevalence estimates are shown as diamonds that span the 95 % CI (* truncated at zero).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Iceberg concept of disease – the SARS paradox.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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