Serological and molecular retrospective analysis of hepatitis E suspected cases from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon 1993-2014

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Alex Junior Souza de Souza, Andreza Pinheiro Malheiros, Vânia Pinto Sarmento, Fabricio de Souza Resende, Max Moreira Alves, Heloisa Marceliano Nunes, Manoel do Carmo Pereira Soares, Lilian Rose Marques de Sá
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2019
• Subjects: Latin America; HEV; Serology; Molecular biology; Acute hepatitis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0465-2018; https://doaj.org/article/b407000a9ee74180a8e4c0dc5d663b42

Abstract INTRODUCTION We evaluated the anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibody prevalence and HEV-RNA in archived serum samples of non-A-C hepatitis, or suspected cases of HEV infection from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon from 1993 to 2014. METHODS Serum samples (n = 318) were tested using ELISA and immunoblotting, and screened for HEV-RNA by RT-qPCR. RESULTS Anti-HEV IgM and IgG were detected in 3.4% (11/318) and 5.9% (19/318) of the samples, respectively. All samples were HEV-RNA negative. CONCLUSIONS HEV was detected at a low prevalence. Broader serological and molecular evaluation of HEV infection in the Amazon region should be carried out.