Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Humans and Geographically Matched Food Animals in Egypt

Abstract

The aim of current study was to investigate the epidemiology of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in humans and geographically matched food animals as a novel zoonotic assessment in Egypt. Blood samples were collected from patients who had a history of jaundice and attended to fever and general hospitals. Animal blood samples were collected from cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats convenient to HEV seropositive humans. Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) protocol was used to determine IgG anti-HEV. Sex and pregnancy were investigated as potential risk factors for HEV infection. Of 134 examined humans, 51 (38.1%) were positive for IgG anti-HEV. The males showed 26.8% seropositivity while the recorded female seropositivity was 50.8%, with a significant difference at P = 0.005, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.35 at 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.73. There was a significant difference at P = 0.02 between seropositivity in pregnant (25%) and non-pregnant women (59.6%); OR was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.06-0.81). Anorexia was the most common symptom whereas paraesthesia and back pain were the least within icteric seropositive HEV humans. Hepatitis E virus seropositivity was recorded in 21.6%, 14%, 4.4% and 9.4% from examined cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats, respectively. The infected food animals were convenient to positive HEV humans who may declare the epidemiological picture of potential zoonotic HEV.

Epidemiology of Hepatitis E Virus in China: Results from the Third National Viral Hepatitis Prevalence Survey, 2005–2006

“…Some studies have shown that the rate of hepatitis E seropositivity is significantly higher in males than in females [17], [33]; although some studies show higher rates in females [6], and other studies show no significant difference between male and female populations [15], [28]. The difference in HEV seroprevalence between male and female participants in our study was just below the level of significance.…”

Evidence of increased Hepatitis E virus exposure in Lao villagers with contact to ruminants

“…Other sources of infection are contaminated animal products, such as raw meat (Meng, ) and possibly milk (Baechlein & Becher, ; Drobeniuc et al, ; Huang et al, ). Pigs are considered the main reservoir of zoonotic HEV (Meng, ), but several independent studies provided recent serological and molecular evidence of HEV circulation in cattle and goats (Arankalle et al, ; Di Martino et al, ; Dong et al, ; El‐Tras, Tayel, & El‐Kady, ; Fu et al, ; Geng et al, , ; Huang et al, ; Long et al, ; Sanford et al, ; Xu et al, ; Yan et al, ; Zhang et al, ). So far, all isolates from cattle clustered with genotype 4 strains, while both genotypes 3 and 4 strains were found in goats (Di Martino et al, ; Hu & Ma, ; Huang et al, ; Long et al, ; Xu et al, ; Yan et al, ).…”

Host Immune Status and Response to Hepatitis E Virus Infection

“…Short HEV sequence fragments obtained from sheep and cattle fecal samples, clustering with genotype 4, have been reported in the Chinese-language literature (111,112), but evidence for this expanded host range requires replication (70). Serologic evidence of HEV infection obtained from a variety of mammals around the world, including dogs, goats, camels, cows, and buffalo, has yet to be followed by successful isolation and sequencing of HEV strains from these species (14,16,17,113,114).…”

“…1). The discovery, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of Hepeviridae from an ever-expanding range of places and host species (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) (Fig. 2) have provided important insights into the epidemiology and geographic patterns of HEV infection and disease but have raised new questions as well.…”