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HEPATITIS A AND E SEROPREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS: A COMMUNITY-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY IN RURAL AMAZONIA
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Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto Biomédico. Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto Biomédico. Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil
Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto Biomédico. Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil
Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are both transmitted by the faecal-oral route, and
represent common causes of acute hepatitis in developing countries. The endemicity of HAV infection has shifted
from high to moderate in Brazil. Human cases of HEV infection seem to be rare, although the virus has been
detected in swine livestock and effluents of slaughterhouses. This study was to determine the epidemiology of
hepatitis A and E in one of the largest agricultural settlements in the Amazon Basin of Brazil.
Methods: Serum samples collected from 397 individuals aged between 5 and 90 years during a population-based
cross-sectional survey were tested for anti-HAV and anti-HEV antibodies. Associated risk factors and spatial clustering
of HAV and HEV seropositivity were also analyzed.
Results: The overall rate of HAV seropositivity was 82.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 79.2-86.6%). Multilevel
logistic regression analysis identified increasing age (in years; odds ratio (OR), 1.097; 95% CI, 1.050-1.147; P < 0.001)
and crowding (OR, 1.603; 95% CI, 1.054-2.440; P = 0.028) as significant risk factors for HAV seropositivity. Anti-HEV
IgG was detected in 50/388 settlers (12.9%, 95% CI, 9.5-16.2%). Anti-HEV IgM was detected in 7/43 (16.3%) anti-IgG
positive samples, and 4 of them had a confirmed result by immunoblot. Increasing age was the only significant
determinant of HEV seropositivity (OR, 1.033; 95% CI, 1.016-1.050; P < 0.001). No significant spatial clustering of HAV
and HEV seropositivity was detected in the area.
Conclusions: Both HAV and HEV are endemic, with differing rates of infection in children and adults in this rural
setting of the Brazilian Amazon. Anti-HEV prevalence was considerably higher than those previously reported in
Brazil. The detection of HEV- specific IgM antibodies in four asymptomatic individuals is highly suggestive of the
circulation of HEV in this rural population.
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