High prevalence of hepatitis E virus antibodies in Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil: analysis of a group of blood donors representative of the general population

Abstract

Brazil is a non-endemic country for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection with seroprevalence from 1% to 4% in blood donors and the general population. However, data on seroprevalence of HEV in the country are still limited. This study evaluated the prevalence of past or present HEV infection in a group of blood donors representative of the general population of the city of Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. Serum samples from 500 blood donors were tested from July to September 2014 by serological and molecular methods. Anti-HEV IgG antibodies were detected in 49 (9.8%) subjects and categorized age groups revealed an age-dependent increase of HEV seroprevalence. Among the anti-HEV IgG positive subjects, only 1 had anti-HEV IgM while none tested positive for HEV-RNA. The present data demonstrate a higher seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG than previously reported in the region.

Evidence of hepatitis E virus infections among persons who use crack cocaine from the Midwest region of Brazil

“…The performance of anti‐HEV IgG assays may have played a role in the higher seroprevalence of anti‐HEV antibodies found in recent studies . Two different studies, both in blood donors, one in Southern Brazil (10%) and other in Southeastern Brazil (9.8%) found similar prevalence to that reported in this study . Both of them used the same high sensitivity commercial anti‐HEV assays contributed to the similar detection of anti‐HEV rates to those observed in this study.…”

“…Currently, data about seroprevalence of HEV infection in Brazil are improving and showing increase of the prevalence . The performance of anti‐HEV IgG assays may have played a role in the higher seroprevalence of anti‐HEV antibodies found in recent studies .…”

Risk factors and seroprevalence of hepatitis E evaluated in frozen‐serum samples (2002‐2003) of pregnant women compared with female blood donors in a Southern region of Brazil

“…The Wantai assay used for testing anti‐HEV, has a high sensitivity, usually leading to higher prevalence rates when compared with the majority of commercially available HEV assays . Interestingly, our overall prevalence rate of 22.5% is much higher than results from two previous studies on blood donors from Brazil, which also used the Wantai Assay and collected their data in 2014: 10% in Itajai, Santa Catarina, and 9% in Sao Paulo . We do not know if our donors donated for the first time or were frequent donors, but such a fact is usually not mentioned in majority of papers.…”

“…8,29 Interestingly, our overall prevalence rate of 22.5% is much higher than results from two previous studies on blood donors from Brazil, which also used the Wantai Assay and collected their data in 2014: 10% in Itajai, Santa Catarina, 30 and 9% in Sao Paulo. 14 fact is usually not mentioned in majority of papers. As we collected blood before excluding donors due to risk factors, the selection bias might be diminished.…”

“…Passos‐Castilho et al, in addition, described a group of blood donors, considered by the authors as representative ofSão Paulo’s population, tested by Wantai assay, with 9.8% of positivity for anti‐HEV IgG. Among the positive ones, a single donor tested positive for anti‐HEV IgM, however, no donor tested HEV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive . A recently published study showed a cohort of hepatitis C patients tested for HEV serology a by Wantai assay in São Paulo, in which 10.2% tested positive for anti‐HEV IgG.…”