Serologic evidence for widespread infection with La Crosse and St. Louis encephalitis viruses in the Indiana human population.

The vast under-reporting of La Crosse virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus infections in Indiana residents was evident when numerous inapparent infections were detected retrospectively using serum dilution neutralization analyses of serum obtained in November 1978-April 1979 from 10,208 persons (0.2% of the state's population). An antibody prevalence rate of 3.6% to St. Louis encephalitis virus was detected in the sample population as a whole, with rates as high as 13.2% for residents of individual counties. The estimated average annual rate of infection for the whole population was 0.32%. The antibody prevalence to La Crosse virus in the sample population as a whole was 2.3%, with rates ranging up to 12.5% for residents of individual counties. The estimated average annual rate of infection for the whole population was 0.29%. The epidemiologic behavior of the two viruses was quite different. Age-specific antibody prevalence for St. Louis encephalitis virus indicated a pattern of endemic infection existed in the population as a whole; antibody prevalence rose as the population aged. However, many other infections apparently occurred during the 1975 and earlier epidemics. Age-specific antibody prevalence for La Crosse virus indicated a typical pattern of endemic infection was present. The antibody prevalence to La Crosse virus was best described by the Poisson distribution and that of St. Louis encephalitis virus by the negative binomial distribution. These data support the hypothesis that St. Louis encephalitis virus primarily produces intermittent epidemics in the Midwest while La Crosse virus produces continuous seasonal endemic infections. However, evidence suggestive of a low level of interepidemic St. Louis encephalitis virus infection in the population was also obtained. Computer-drawn synagraphic mapping view "maps" of regional antibody prevalence rates demonstrated the existence of distinct foci of infection for each virus in the human population.