Seroprevalence for Hepatitis E and Other Viral Hepatitides among Diverse Populations, Malawi

Data on prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Malawi is limited. We tested blood samples from HIV-uninfected and -infected populations of women and men enrolled in research studies in Malawi during 1989-2008 to determine the seroprevalence of HEV, hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV),...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging infectious diseases 2015-07, Vol.21 (7), p.1174-1182
Main Authors: Taha, Taha E, Rusie, Laura K, Labrique, Alain, Nyirenda, Mulinda, Soko, Dean, Kamanga, Melvin, Kumwenda, Johnstone, Farazadegan, Homayoon, Nelson, Kenrad, Kumwenda, Newton
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Distribution
Female
Forecasts and trends
HAV
HBV
HCV
Hepatitis
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E - epidemiology
Hepatitis E - immunology
Hepatitis E - virology
Hepatitis E virus - immunology
HEV
HIV Infections - epidemiology
HIV Infections - immunology
HIV Infections - virology
Humans
Malawi - epidemiology
Male
Medical research
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Prevalence
Public health administration
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Seroprevalence for Hepatitis E and Other Viral Hepatitides among Diverse Populations, Malawi
viruses
Young Adult
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Summary:Data on prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Malawi is limited. We tested blood samples from HIV-uninfected and -infected populations of women and men enrolled in research studies in Malawi during 1989-2008 to determine the seroprevalence of HEV, hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Samples were tested for IgG against HEV, total antibodies against HAV and HCV, and presence of HBV surface antigens. Of 800 samples tested, 16.5% were positive for HEV IgG, 99.6% were positive for HAV antibodies, 7.5% were positive for HBV surface antigen, and 7.1% were positive for HCV antibodies. No clear trends over time were observed in the seroprevalence of HEV, and HIV status was not associated with hepatitis seroprevalence. These preliminary data suggest that the seroprevalence of HEV is high in Malawi; the clinical effects may be unrecognized or routinely misclassified.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid2107.141748