Prevalence of IgG antibodies to Ebola virus in individuals during an Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1995

During the 1995 outbreak of Ebola (EBO) hemorrhagic fever in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo, two surveys using a new ELISA for EBO (subtype Zaire) virus antigen were conducted to assess the prevalence of EBO IgG antibodies among residents of Kikwit and the surrounding area. The first study determined the proportion of antibody-positive individuals who were self-identified forest and city workers from the Kikwit area. Serum samples from 9 (2.2%) of 414 workers had IgG EBO antibodies. The second study determined the proportion of EBO antibody-positive individuals who lived in villages surrounding Kikwit. The prevalence of IgG EBO antibodies in this population was 9.3% (15/161). The difference in the overall prevalence of EBO antibodies may indicate that villagers have a greater chance of exposure to EBO virus compared with those living in and in close proximity to cities.