Prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis E virus in the population of the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

Rationale. Hepatitis E (HE) is a zooanthroponosis. Domestic pigs are the main reservoir for hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the Republic of Belarus (RB). Considering the well-developed pig farming, there is a high risk of infection spread among the population; however, the scale of virus circulation and patterns of HE epidemiology in the above region are still insufficiently explored.The aim of the study is to assess HEV seroprevalence specific for the HE epidemic process in RB.Materials and methods. Serum samples (n = 2,784) collected from patients of infectious disease departments at hospitals (n = 1,669) and relatively healthy people (n = 1,114) from different RB regions were used to measure the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by a kinetic rate method as well as IgG antibodies to HEV by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results. In the group of healthy people, anti-HEV IgG were detected in 7.3% (95% CI, 5.8–9.0). In the group of patients with liver disorders, the detection frequency was significantly higher, reaching 11.2% (95% CI, 9.6–12.9). In the groups of healthy people and patients with elevated ALT levels, the HEV seroprevalence did not depend on their gender or the region of residence. The anti-HEV IgG detection frequency gradually increased among olderage patients and reached the peak levels (15.9% on average) in the over-64 age group.Conclusions. RB is characterized by intensive HEV circulation, while the HE epidemic process is characterized by a latent nature. The actual prevalence of HЕ seromarkers among the RB population exceeds the frequency of diagnosed cases, suggesting insufficient vigilance of healthcare workers towards HE and subclinical forms of infection in most of the patients.