Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection in Afro-Brazilian isolated communities in Central Brazil

Abstract

Worldwide, it is estimated that about 1.5 million clinical cases of hepatitis A occur each year (Lavanchy 2002). Transmission of hepatitis A virus (HAV) usually occurs by the faecal-oral route either through personto-person contact or ingestion of contaminated water or food. In developed countries, low prevalence of HAV infection has been found while in many developing ones; low income, low educational level, crowding and lack of access to safe drinking water, and sanitation facilities are associated with increased HAV infection prevalence. However, recent studies have shown a decline in anti-HAV seroprevalence in Latin America, which has generally been explained by improvements in sanitary conditions, particularly in the access to clear water and to sewerage systems (Tapia-Conyer et al.1999, Tanaka 2000, Jacobsen & Koopman 2004.In Brazil, although hepatitis A is considered an endemic infection, some studies have shown a shift from high to intermediate endemicity in HAV infection epidemiological pattern, especially in South and Southeast regions (Vitral et al. 1998, Clemens et al. 2000, Santos et al. 2002. Furthermore, within this country, seroprevalence rates may vary by age, socioeconomic status, urbanization level and access to clean water as sanitation facilities (Vitral et al. 2006). African individuals were introduced in Brazil by slave trade. Some of them escaped from gold mines or farms, setting in remote valleys, to escape their masters. These runaway-slave descendants stayed in isolated communities, called "quilombos". The epidemiological status of HAV infection of these communities remains unknown. In this study, the prevalence of HAV infection among isolated African-descendant communities in Central Brazil was sought.This study included 947 individuals living in all 12 isolated afro-descendants communities existing in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil. Among them, seven communities were in rural areas: Furnas dos Dionísios, Jaraguari county (n = 197), Furnas da Boa Sorte, Corguinho county (n = 121), Malaquias, Camapuã county (n = 83), Jerônimos, Terenos county (n = 70), São Miguel, Maracaju county (n = 49), Furnas dos Baianos, Aquidauana county (n = 42) and Quintinos, Pedro Gomes county (n = 37); and five in urban areas: São Benedito, Campo Grande county (n = 199), Orolândia, Rio Negro county (n = 49), São Miguel, Nioaque county (n = 48), Amarelinhos, Sidrolândia county (n = 25), and Morro do Limão, Campo Grande county (n = 27).The population ranged in age from less than 1 to 108 years (average 29.8 years). Four hundred forty-nine were females and 498 were males. All these individuals had low socioeconomic (families with monthly income less than US$ 200) and education levels (76% had less than 8 years of formal education). In rural communities, the majority lived basically on subsistence agriculture or cattle-rising, and their houses had no sewage system, tap water service and access to electric power. The inhabitants of Amarelinhos community lived in rural area, but recently they have ...

HAV infection in Brazilian men who have sex with men: The importance of surveillance to avoid outbreaks

“…Similar rates were found in individuals of North and Central-West regions (68.8%; 95% CI, 64.8%–72.5%), the latter being the same region of the present study. Similar prevalence was also observed in Afro-Brazilian rural communities from Central Brazil (75.6%; 95% CI: 72.7–78.3%) [ 13 ]. Areas more developed in socio-economic terms, as developed countries and South and Southeast regions of Brazil, present lower HAV prevalence [ 1 , 3 ].…”

Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection: the paradoxical example of isolated communities in the western Brazilian Amazon region

“…Recently, a very heterogeneous scenario regarding HAV infection has been demonstrated, with rural areas showing infection rates lower than urban regions 1 . Furthermore, intermediate patterns have been described in isolated poor communities, just as we have described here 14 .…”

High prevalence of hepatitis A in indigenous population in north Brazil

“…Although it was found high total anti-HAV prevalence, the prevalence of IgM anti-HAV was low (1.7%) and none of them had HAV RNA. Low prevalences of IgM anti-HAV were also found in Afro Brazilian isolated community (0.6%) [26], risk group in Nigeria (1.5%) [27] and plasma donors in China (0.7%) [28]. However, data from South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service found 3.3% of IgM anti-HAV between 2005 and 2015 [29] probably due to high risk observed in acute hepatitis cases.…”