Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a growing public health problem in many countries. In this study, we investigated HEV seroprevalence among the general population in the Siem Reap province, Cambodia, and performed HEV genetic analysis with the aim to develop an HEV prevention strategy. This seroepidemiological cross-sectional study conducted from 2010 to 2014 included 868 participants from four different locations in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. They answered questionnaires and provided blood samples for the analysis of hepatitis virus infections. Among the participants (360 men and 508 women; age range, 7–90 years), the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 18.4% (95% confidence interval: 15.9–21.0); HEV RNA was detected in two participants (0.23%) and was classified as genotype 3 and 4. Full-length genome of the genotype 4 isolate, CVS-Sie10, was sequenced; it contained 7,222 nucleotides and three ORFs and demonstrated high sequence identity with the swine China isolates swGX40 (95.57%), SS19 (94.37%), and swDQ (91.94%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that men, elderly people, and house workers were risk groups significantly associated with the positivity for anti-HEV IgG. This is the first report on the detection of HEV genotype 4 in humans in Cambodia and on the complete genome sequence of HEV genotype 4 from this country. Our study demonstrates that new HEV infection cases occur frequently among the general population in Cambodia, and effective preventive measures are required.
Highlights
World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicates that approximately 20 million people are hepatitis E virus (HEV)-infected, over 3 million have acute hepatitis E, and 70,000 die of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0136903 August 28, 2015Hepatitis E Virus in CambodiaSciences Research Grant for Policy Research for Hepatitis Measures from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
In the current study conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Cambodia, we investigated the prevalence of HEV infection among the general population in Siem Reap province and sequenced full-length genome of the HEV isolate recovered from an HEV RNA-positive individual
About 10 ml of blood drawn from each participant was carefully centrifuged, and the serum samples were transported to Hiroshima University in Japan, where they were tested for hepatitis virus markers to determine the prevalence of hepatitis virus infection
Summary
World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicates that approximately 20 million people are hepatitis E virus (HEV)-infected, over 3 million have acute hepatitis E, and 70,000 die of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0136903 August 28, 2015. HEV is transmitted mainly through the fecal-oral route because of fecal contamination of drinking water; low sanitation standards increase the risk of HEV infection [1] which is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in the developing world [2]. In Cambodia, one of the developing countries in Asia, HEV infection can be an important health problem. We have been conducting a seroepidemiological survey on hepatitis virus infections among the general population in Cambodia since 2010 and have reported the seroprevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis B and C virus among adults in this country [12]. In the current study conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Cambodia, we investigated the prevalence of HEV infection among the general population in Siem Reap province and sequenced full-length genome of the HEV isolate recovered from an HEV RNA-positive individual
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
