[Presence of antibodies against Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus subtype VI in patients with acute febrile illness].

In Argentina, there is no record of human cases produced by Dengue virus (Flavivirus), but Paraguay and Brasil (neighbouring countries) have notified human outbreaks of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. In this report, we inform the serological results of a limited human outbreak of a Dengue-like acute illness that occurred in General Belgrano Island, Formosa, Argentina in April 1989. This island is 35 km far from Clorinda city of Paraguay river, with a human population of 150 inhabitants. The weather of this area is humid with abundant rainfall, favouring mosquitoes proliferation. Two samples of serum from 28 human notified cases were studied using hemagglutination inhibition test (HI), complement fixation (CF), and plaque reduction neutralization (NT) test in Vero cell cultures. All tested sera were negative to Dengue, St. Louis encephalitis, Yellow Fever, Bussuquara, Rocio, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis arboviruses as well as Influenza and Rubella viruses. By contrast, infection with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE), subtype VI-AG80-663 strain was demonstrated (34.5% positive by HI, 39.1% by CF and 51.6% by NT). Seroconversion was detected by NT in six cases and only five were positive by CF. The 26.8% of the sera reacted also with VEE subtype I AB by NT. Considering that no cross reaction were detected in NT with these two subtypes, our results suggest that both viruses are concomitantly circulating in the studied area. Furthermore, the seroconversions detected with AG80-663 strain firmly indicate that during the outbreak this virus subtype was circulating in the island, although we could not assure that it was the causal agent of the acute disease.