Seroprevalence of the Hepatitis E Virus in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communities from the Brazilian Amazon Basin

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis in tropical regions. In Brazil, HEV G3 is the only genotype detected to date. Reports on HEV prevalence are heterogeneous. We aimed to compare the prevalence of anti-HEV among three populations living in the Brazilian Amazon basin. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in urban, rural, and Yanomami indigenous areas. Plasma samples from 428 indigenous and 383 non-indigenous subjects were tested for anti-HEV IgG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The overall prevalence of anti-HEV was 6.8% (95%CI: 5.25–8.72), with 2.8% (12/428) found in the Yanomami areas, 3% (3/101) in an urban area, and 14.2% (40/282) in a rural area. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that patients aged 31–45 years or ≥46 years are more likely to present anti-HEV positivity, with a respective aOR of 2.76 (95%CI: 1.09–7.5) and 4.27 (95%CI: 1.58–12.35). Furthermore, residence in a rural area (aOR: 7.67; 95%CI: 2.50–33.67) represents a relevant risk factor for HEV infection. Additional studies detecting HEV RNA in fecal samples from both humans and potential animal reservoirs are necessary to comprehensively identify risk factors associated with HEV exposure.