Abstract
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Abstract; Background Uganda has experienced seven Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks and four Marburg Virus disease (MVD) outbreaks between 2000 and 2019. We investigated the seroprevalence and risk factors for Marburg virus and ebolaviruses infections in gold mining communities around Kitaka gold mine in Western Uganda, and compared them to non-mining communities in Central UgandaMethods A questionnaire was administered and human blood samples were collected from three exposed groups in Western Uganda (gold miners, and household members of miners, non-miners living within 50 km of Kitaka mine). Controls were community members in Central Uganda far away from any gold mining activity which we considered as low-risk groups or ‘unexposed’ to filovirus infection. ELISA technique was used to analyse samples, detecting IgG antibodies against Marburg virus and ebolaviruses (filovirus).Results Miners in western Uganda were 4.8 times more likely to be seropositive compared to the non-exposed group in central Uganda (RR=4.8, 95%CI 1.3-17.9). Overall, filovirus seropositivity was 2.6% (19/724) of which 2.5% (18/724) was to Sudan virus, 0.1% (1/724) was to Bundibugyo virus, and 0.1% (1/724) to Marburg virus. One individual had IgG antibodies reactive to both Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus. The risk factors for seropositivity to Sudan virus identified included mining (aOR=3.4, 1.3-8.5), male sex (3.1, 1.01 - 9.5), going inside mines (3.1, 1.2 - 8.2), cleaning corpses (3.1, 1.04 - 9.1) and contact with suspect filovirus cases (3.9, 1.04 -14.5).Conclusions These findings indicate that filovirus outbreaks may go undetected in Uganda and people involved in artisan gold mining or living close to mines and/or caves are more likely to be exposed to infection with either Marburg virus or ebolaviruses, likely due to increased risk of exposure to bats. This calls for active surveillance in known high-risk areas for early detection and response to prevent filovirus epidemics.