Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis E in two rural Egyptian communities

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2000 Apr;62(4):519-23. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2000.62.519.

Abstract

A population-based serosurvey in two rural Egyptian communities was used to assess age-specific prevalence of antibody to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV). One community is in the Nile Delta (11,182 inhabitants; 3,997 participants) and the other in Upper Egypt (10,970 inhabitants; 6,029 participants). Samples were tested for anti-HEV with a commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) based on antigens derived from open reading frame (ORF)2 and ORF3. Although there was a clear difference in sensitivity among the lots of the commercial test used, it was still possible to determine the seroprevalence. The seroprevalence of anti-HEV exceeded 60% in the first decade of life, peaked at 76% in the second decade and remained above 60% until the eighth decade. Prevalence of this magnitude is among the highest reported in the world, with an age-specific pattern more similar to hyperendemic hepatitis A virus transmission than generally described. Lot-to-lot variation in the sensitivity of the commercial ELISA kit highlights a problem when comparing seroepidemiologic studies of different populations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Egypt / epidemiology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Hepatitis E / epidemiology*
  • Hepatitis E virus / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral