Hepatitis E virus: Evaluation of seroprevalence and risk factors among HIV-Positive pregnant women in Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria

Hepatitis E is one of the most frequent causes of acute hepatitis worldwide, with an estimated 20 million infections and 70,000 deaths attributed to hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 1 and 2 every year. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) in southwest (SW) Nigeria. Venous blood samples totalling 359 were collected from pregnant women on routine check, apparently healthy prospective blood donors and sick individuals presenting with fever and abdominal disturbance from health facilities in Ekiti, Lagos, Osun and Oyo states, of Nigeria. A structured questionnaire form was administered to gather socio-demographic data, health and travel history from each consenting participant. The screening for HEV IgM was done using HEV IgM ELISA kit. Statistical analyses, including descriptive analysis, correlations and binary logistic regression were carried out using SPSS version 21. In all, 131 samples (36.5%) tested positive for HEV IgM. Osun state had the highest occurrence of HEV IgM (n = 49; 13.6%,) while Ekiti had the least (n= 22; 6.1%). Apparently healthy participants with detectable HEV IgM were 52 (14.5%) while pregnant womenwere 51 (14.2%). Risk factors implicated in this study were flooding and injection drug use. The overall HEV prevalence reported in this study was higher than previous reports in Nigeria . Higher HEV prevalence in this study could be due to a larger coverage area in the country as well as detection of ongoing infection. The detection of HEV IgM in pregnant women and apparently healthy prospective blood donors indicated ongoing infection with risk of spread to susceptibles since HEV is neither routinely screened for among pregnant women nor among prospective blood donors. Keywords: Hepatitis E, IgM, Pregnancy, Apparently healthy, ELISA Depth, Geothermal Energy

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Seroprevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis E virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care in health facilities of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Journal of Medical Virology ◽

10.1002/jmv.25190 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 90 (8) ◽

pp. 1364-1369 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Selam Niguse ◽

Haftamu Hailekiros ◽

Gerezgiher Buruh ◽

Tadese Dejene ◽

Nega Berhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Virus Infection ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Northern Ethiopia

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Epidemiology and Associated Risk Factors of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Plateau State, Nigeria

Virology Research and Treatment ◽

10.4137/vrt.s15422 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. VRT.S15422 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Surajudeen A. Junaid ◽

Samuel E. Agina ◽

Khadijah A. Abubakar

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Waste Disposal ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Associated Risk Factors ◽

Animal Handlers

A cross-sectional study in Nigeria was undertaken to determine the epidemiology, seroprevalence, and associated risk factors, of hepatitis E virus (HEV). A total of 462 subjects were used for the study, categorized into four groups: apparently healthy persons, pregnant women, HIV positive subjects, and animal handlers. Information was obtained from subjects using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for HEV antibodies (IgG and IgM) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 statistical software. The overall seroprevalence of IgG and IgM was 42.7 and 0.9%, respectively. Animal handlers had the highest seroprevalence (66.7%). The associated risk factors for IgM seroprevalence were rural dwelling ( P = 0.039, odds ratio (OR) 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7–15.4), blood transfusion ( P < 0.001, OR 9.6, 95% CI 2.6–35.6), attending to animals ( P = 0.032, OR 4.9, 95% CI 0.9–26.6), and waste disposal ( P < 0.001). Factors associated with IgG were age ( P = 0.044), location ( P < 0.001), marital status ( P < 0.001), formal education ( P < 0.001), farming as occupation ( P < 0.001), rural dwelling ( P = 0.001), waste disposal ( P < 0.001), alcohol consumption ( P = 0.001, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4–4.0), open defecation ( P < 0.001, OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4–5.7), attending to animals ( P < 0.001, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6–3.4), consuming unwashed fruits/vegetables ( P < 0.001, OR 4.2, 95% CI 0.3–54.1), and stream/river as a source of drinking water ( P < 0.001, OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6–7.8). Preventive public health measures should be reinforced among all communities, particularly domestic animal handlers and pregnant women. Potable water should be provided for all communities. Data suggest that HEV remains an under-recognized and significant public health problem, warranting further attention and research.

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