Assessment of arbovirus co-circulation and associated risk factors among children in Dhaka, Bangladesh

*Aedes* mosquitoes transmit multiple diseases, including dengue, Zika virus disease, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis. Dengue imposes the greatest social burden among these. The endemic areas for these mosquitoes and the diseases they carry are constantly expanding; consequently, finding methods to combat infections transmitted by *Aedes* mosquitoes is becoming increasingly crucial. The current project is part of a study evaluating a community-based approach to preventing dengue infections in Bangladesh. In that study, infection status was assessed by measuring levels of anti-dengue IgG antibodies. However, certain antibodies produced during infections with Zika, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis viruses can also react with the dengue virus (cross-reactivity), leading to false-positive results in dengue tests. We will use more specific tests on a smaller subset of the study population. Employing these specific ELISA tests for the various diseases transmitted by *Aedes* mosquitoes will allow us to assess the rate of co-infection with these viruses and the level of cross-reactivity associated with antibodies produced against Zika, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis viruses. This project will contribute to identifying and better understanding the risk factors associated with co-infections. Furthermore, it will improve the accuracy of dengue seroconversion measurements by enabling the correction of false-positive results caused by cross-reactions with other arboviruses.