Data for Demographic patterns of human antibody levels to Simulium damnosum s.l. saliva in onchocerciasis-endemic areas: an indicator of exposure to vector bites

Methodology/Principal findings Recently developed IgG and IgM anti-saliva immunoassays for S. damnosum s.l. were applied to blood samples collected from residents in four onchocerciasis endemic villages in Ghana. Demographic patterns in antibody levels according to village, sex and age were explored by fitting generalized linear models. Antibody levels varied between villages but showed consistent patterns with age and sex.

Both IgG and IgM responses declined with increasing age. IgG responses were generally lower in males than in females and exhibited a steeper decline in adult males than in adult females. No sex-specific difference was observed in IgM responses.

Conclusions/Significance The decline in age-specific antibody patterns suggested development of immunotolerance or desensitization to blackfly saliva antigen in response to persistent exposure. The variation between sexes, and between adults and youngsters may reflect differences in behaviour influencing cumulative exposure. These measures of antibody acquisition and decay could be incorporated into onchocerciasis transmission models towards informing onchocerciasis control, elimination, and surveillance.<br><br>The dataset “20211230_DS_SDamnosum_PLoSNTD.xlsx” contains measured antibody responses (expressed in units/ml) against saliva of Simulium damnosum s.l. from individuals living in onchocerciasis-endemic areas in Ghana (protocol and results published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases: Willen et al, 2021).

The measured antibody responses are indicated by: - UNITS/ML = measured units of antibody responses per ml of plasma The following metadata is also provided: - ID = Anonymized identification number of the participant - AGE = Age of the participant (expressed in years, unless specified otherwise) - SEX = Sex of the participant (F = female; M = male) - YEARS_IN_LOCATION = Number of years the participant has been living in his current location (expressed in years, unless specified otherwise) - LOCATION = The village where the participant was living at the time of sampling (can be Asubende, Senyase, Beposo, Fawoman, or Ohiampe) - CLUSTER = The cluster to which the village has been assigned, based on proximity of the villages to one another (in total 4 cluster numbers are assigned to 5 villages) - ASSAY = The type of antibody response measured (can be either IgG or IgM)