-specific antibodies in plasma and saliva in cholera patients during a severe outbreak in Zambia: an antibody profiling approach.

Background: Cholera is a public health threat in resource-limited settings and is responsible for causing over 3 million cases globally. Mucosal immune responses play an important role in protecting against infection, a non-invasive mucosal pathogen, yet traditional plasma-based assays are invasive and logistically challenging, particularly during outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Saliva offers a unique window into mucosal immunity and may serve as a non-invasive alternative for seroprevalence and vaccine immunogenicity studies.