Hepatitis E virus antibody prevalence in hunters from a district in Central Germany, 2013: a cross-sectional study providing evidence for the benefit of protective gloves during disembowelling of wild boars

AbstractBackgroundThe renal transplant recipients (RT), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (allo-HSCT), patients with acute hepatitis (AH), and chronic hepatitis C patients (CHC) are at risk of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. However, seroepidemiology, risk factors to HEV exposure, and the prevalence of HEV viremia has not yet been investigated among these patients in Turkey.Materials&MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 292 consecutive serum samples were tested for HEV immunoglobulin IgG/IgM and HEV RNA using commercial ELISA and in-house nested PCR with Sanger sequencing, respectively. Sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory data, and risk factors were collected using a questionnaire and hospital database. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors for anti-HEV seropositivity.ResultsAmong all patients (n=292) tested for HEV RNA reactivity, only 2 patients (one RT recipient and one patient with AH) were identified as having HEV3 viremia. HEV viremia rate was 0.6% in whole group. These patients had shown no signs of chronic HEV infection for 6 months and was found to spontaneously seroconverted 6 months after enrollment. Anti-HEV IgG was positive in 29 patients yielding an HEV seroprevalence of 9.9%. Older age (aOR:1.03, 95% CI, 1.00-1.06; p:0.022) and eating undercooked meat (aOR:3.11, 95% CI, 1.08-8.92; p:0.034) were independent risk factors to anti-HEV seropositivity in all patients. Similarly, multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age (aOR:1.03, 95% CI, 0.99-1.07, p:0.058) and eating undercooked meat (aOR:5.77, 95% CI, 1.49-22.25, p:0.011) were independent risk factors for anti-HEV IgG positivity in the non-immunosuppressive subgroup consisting of AH and CHC patients.ConclusionThe HEV seroprevalence rate was high (9.9%), despite low viremia rate (0.6%) in high-risk patients. The emergence of HEV3 might indicate a serious problem for these patients. Future investigations are needed to elucidate foodborne transmission routes of HEV in Turkey.

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Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence in Austrian Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study among Civilians and Military Professionals

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0087669 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. e87669 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Heimo Lagler ◽

Wolfgang Poeppl ◽

Heidi Winkler ◽

Harald Herkner ◽

Angelus Faas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus differs in Dutch and first generation migrant populations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: a cross-sectional study

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-016-2007-z ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. Sadik ◽

G. G. C. van Rijckevorsel ◽

M. S. van Rooijen ◽

G. J. B. Sonder ◽

S. M. Bruisten

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

First Generation ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Migrant Populations ◽

Generation Migrant

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Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Hyalomma lusitanicum Ticks Feeding on Wild Boars

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.692147 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Antonio Rivero-Juarez ◽

María A. Risalde ◽

Christian Gortázar ◽

Pedro Lopez-Lopez ◽

Jose A. Barasona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wild Boar ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wild Boars ◽

Zoonotic Viruses ◽

First Time

Little is known about the role of ticks in maintaining highly prevalent zoonotic viruses in wildlife, such as hepatitis E virus (HEV), which do not require ticks for transmission between animals and humans. In this cross-sectional study, adult female ticks were collected from Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) in autumn 2015 in Spain. HEV RNA in both ticks and wild boar was evaluated by RT-qPCR. Twenty-nine adult Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks were collected from 29 wild boars. HEV RNA was detected in a total of 10 tick (34.4%) and 11 wild boar serum samples (37.9%). In two cases, detectable HEV RNA was found in a wild boar but not in the tick collected from them. In contrast, one HEV-positive tick was collected from an HEV-negative wild boar. All viral sequences were consistent with genotype 3f. We describe for the first time the presence of HEV RNA in adult Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks.

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Anti-JC virus antibody prevalence in a multinational multiple sclerosis cohort

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458513477925 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 1533-1538 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Tomas Olsson ◽

Anat Achiron ◽

Lars Alfredsson ◽

Thomas Berger ◽

David Brassat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy ◽

Jc Virus ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Virus Antibody ◽

Antibody Prevalence ◽

Cross Sectional

JC virus (JCV) is an opportunistic virus known to cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Anti-JC virus (Anti-JCV) antibody prevalence in a large, geographically diverse, multi-national multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort was compared in a cross-sectional study. Overall, anti-JCV antibody prevalence was 57.6%. Anti-JCV antibody prevalence in MS patients ranged from approximately 47% to 68% across these countries: Norway, 47.4%; Denmark, 52.6%; Israel, 56.6%; France, 57.6%; Italy, 58.3%; Sweden, 59.0%; Germany, 59.1%; Austria, 66.7% and Turkey, 67.7%. Prevalence increased with age (from 49.5% in patients < 30 years of age to 66.5% in patients ≥ 60 years of age; p < 0.0001 comparing all age categories), was lower in females than in males (55.8% versus 61.9%; p < 0.0001) and was not affected by prior immunosuppressant or natalizumab use.

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Seroprevalence and risk assessment of viral hepatitis E infection in a group of exposed persons from Republic of Moldova

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ◽

10.3855/jidc.11397 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (05) ◽

pp. 461-464

Author(s):

Octavian Sajin ◽

Constantin Spînu ◽

Iurie Pînzaru ◽

Maria Isac ◽

Igor Spînu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Occupational Exposure ◽

Viral Hepatitis ◽

Textile Industry ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Occupationally Exposed

Introduction: Viral hepatitis E is considered to be an important issue for public health in developing countries. The aim of the present study is to evaluate morbidity and risk factors in occupationally exposed groups such as people working on sausage production. Methodology: Seroprevalence of HEV (hepatitis E virus) and risk factors to infection were determined in a cross-sectional study of two groups of populations: people working on sausage production (n = 70) and persons without occupational exposure (people working in the textile industry n = 70) in Moldova, a country without reported cases of hepatitis E. Results: The seroprevalence of HEV was 14.3% (CI 95%, 13.1-15.5%) in the group of exposed, compared with no cases in the non-exposed group that indicates on no previous infectious contact with hepatitis E virus. Conclusions: The increased seroprevalence of HEV among persons with occupational exposure to swine meat suggest animal-to-human transmission of this infection.

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