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Table 1 Antibodies to EBOV and potential risk factors for Ebola virus disease fever in pygmies residing in the Watsa Region, DRC

From: High prevalence of IgG antibodies to Ebola virus in the Efé pygmy population in the Watsa region, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Potential risk factors: N exposed (% exposed)

Exposed

# IgG pos. (%)

Non exposed

# IgG pos. (%)

χ2-test p

OR (95 % CI)

Risk factors for primary transmission

    

Subsistence activities

    

 Hunting: 180 (60)

37 (20.6)

19 (15.8)

0.3

1.38 (0.72, 2.68)

 Entering caves: 295 (98)

55 (18.6)

1 (20.0)

0.66b

1.19 (0.64, 2.23)

Contacts with wild animals

    

 Rodents

    

 Touched: 216 (72)

42 (19.4)

14 (6.7)

0.58

1.21 (0.60, 2.54)

 eatena : 127 (42)

20 (15.8)

36 (20.8)

0.27

0.71 (0.37–1.35)

 bitten by : 91 (30)

15 (16.5)

41(19.6)

0.52

0.81 (0 .39, 1.60)

 any contact : 238 (79)

45 (18.9)

11 (17.7)

0.83

1.08 (0.53, 2.33)

Bats

    

 Touched : 224 (75)

43 (19.6)

13 (17.1)

0.69

1.15 (0.56, 2.49)

 eatena : 160 (53)

33 (20.6)

23 (16.4)

0.35

1.03 (0 .21, 10.10)

 bitten by : 57 (19)

9 (16.1)

47 (19.3)

0.53

0.78 (0.32, 1.76)

 any contact : 233 (78)

45 (19.3)

11 (16.4)

0.59

1.21 (0.60, 2.61)

Monkeys, apes

    

 Touched : 273 (91)

52 (19.0)

4 (14.8)

0.80b

1.35 (0 .44, 5.61)

 eatena : 289 (96)

54 (18.7)

2 (18.2)

1.00b

1.03 (0 .21, 10.10)

 bitten by : 16 (5)

3 (18.8)

53 (18.7)

1.00b

1.01 (0 .18, 3.84)

 any contact : 294 (98)

56 (19.0)

0 (0.0)

0.28b

 

 Wild animals: any contact : 296 (97)

56 (18.9)

0 (0.0)

0.43b

 

Risk factors for secondary transmission

    

Contact with someone suffering from HF§

    

 had someone with HF in the household : 66 (22)

7 (10.6)

49 (20.9)

0.06

0.45 (0.16, 1.07)

 been in the same room with someone with HF : 47 (16)

8 (17.0)

48 (18.9)

0.75

0.88 (0.33, 2.06)

 worked with someone with HF : 61 (20)

9 (14.7)

47 (19.7)

0.38

0.71 (0.29, 1.59)

 participated in funeral of someone with HF : 65 (22)

12 (18.5)

44 (18.7)

0.96

0.98 (0.44, 2.07)

 touched someone with HF : 57 (19)

11 (19.3)

45 (18.5)

0.89

1.05 (0.45, 2.27)

 touched blood, urine, faeces of someone with HF : 34 (11)

8 (23.5)

48 (18.0)

0.44

1.40 (0.51, 3.42)

 touched remains of someone with HF : 44 (15)

12 (27.3)

44 (17.2)

0.11

1.81 (0.78, 3.94)

 any contact : 102 (34)

16 (15.7)

40 (20.2)

0.34

0.74 (0.38, 1.38)

 any direct contact (touched) : 79 (26)

16 (20.3)

40 (18.1)

0.67

1.15 (0.59, 2.18)

Invasive medical treatment

    

 ever received injection : 263 (88)

51 (19.4)

5 (13.5)

0.39

1.54 (0.56, 5.31)

 ever received surgical or obstetric care : 124 (41)

27 (21.8)

29 (16.5)

0.24

1.41 (0 .75, 2.63)

 any invasive medical treatment ever : 278 (93)

54 (19.4)

2 (9.1)

0.18b

2.41 (0.63, 15.66)

Traditional treatment

    

 ever had scarification : 294 (98)

54 (18.4)

2 (33.3)

0.4

0 .45 (0.06, 5.11)

  1. aBush meat often is smoked, grilled or cooked; exposure to viable virus may therefore be more likely to happen during preparation of such meat for consumption than during consumption itself
  2. bFisher’s Exact Test
  3. §: HF (haemorrhagic fever): severe illness with high fever and bleeding from the nose, mouth, and/or anus