Viral hepatitis in the Bhutanese population: preliminary results of a seroepidemiological investigation

Villa, G. Da; Andjaparidze, A. G.; Cauletti, M.; Franco, Elisabetta; Roggendorf, Michael; Sepe, A.; Zaratti, Laura

doi:10.1016/s0923-2516(97)89894-9

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Sera were obtained from healthy blood donors in Austria (n ‫ס‬ 1,147), Germany (n ‫ס‬ 368), Moldowa (n ‫ס‬ 125), Spain (n ‫ס‬ 400), South Africa (n ‫ס‬ 385), Brazil (n ‫ס‬ 174), Malaysia (n ‫ס‬ 286), and the Philippines (n ‫ס‬ 150). Blood samples from Bhutan were drawn from 279 healthy adults who had been enrolled in a seroepidemiological study to investigate the endemic status of hepatitis in the Bhutanese general population [Da Villa et al, 1997]. One hundred and twenty-three serum samples from German patients at a potential risk of acquiring GBV-C/HGV as a result of blood-borne infection were tested for both anti-E2 and GBV-C/HGV RNA.…”

Section: Materials and Methods Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct prevalence of antibodies to the E2 protein of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in different parts of the world

Roß¹,

Viazov

Schmitt

et al. 1998

J. Med. Virol.

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Since the identification of the new human virus, GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G-virus (HGV), in 1995/1996, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction remained the sole available diagnostic tool for GBV-C/HGV infection. Recently, a serologic test based on the detection of antibodies to the putative envelope protein 2 (anti-E2) has been introduced. We used this assay for a seroepidemiological survey including 3,314 healthy individuals from different parts of the world, 123 patients from Germany who were suspected to have an increased risk of acquiring GBV-C/HGV infection, 128 multiple organ donors, and 90 GBV-C/HGV RNA positive persons. In European countries, anti-E2 seropositivity ranged from 10.9% (Germany) to 15.3% (Austria). In South Africa (20.3%) and Brazil (19.5%), even higher anti-E2 prevalence rates were recorded. In Asian countries like Bhutan (3.9%), Malaysia (6.3%), and the Philippines (2.7%), anti-E2 positivity was significantly lower. GBV-C/HGV anti-E2 prevalence in potential "risk groups," i.e., patients on hemodialysis and renal transplant recipients, did not vary significantly from anti-E2 seroprevalence in German blood donors. Anti-E2 and GBV-C/HGV RNA were found to be mutually exclusive, confirming the notion that anti-E2 has to be considered as a marker of past infection.

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Section: Materials and Methods Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct prevalence of antibodies to the E2 protein of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in different parts of the world

Roß¹,

Viazov

Schmitt

et al. 1998

J. Med. Virol.

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“…Studies in Nepal in 1987 and 1996 found evidence of almost universal prior infection in adults [222]. In parts of Indonesia [196,199,200] and Bhutan [201] nearly all children are infected by age 10 years. More than half of Sri Lankan children tested in the 1970s were found to have anti-HAV [218,227].…”

Section: South-east Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Declining hepatitis A seroprevalence: a global review and analysis

2004

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Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is spread by faecal-oral contact or ingestion of contaminated food or water. Lifelong immunity is conferred by infection or vaccination, so anti-HAV seroprevalence studies can be used to indicate which populations are susceptible to infection. Seroprevalence rates are highly correlated with socioeconomic status and access to clean water and sanitation. Increasing household income, education, water quality and quantity, sanitation, and hygiene leads to decreases in HAV prevalence. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and most European nations have low anti-HAV rates. Although anti-HAV rates remain high in most Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern nations, average seroprevalence rates are declining. Surveys from Africa generally indicate no significant decline in anti-HAV rates. Because the severity of illness increases with age, populations with a high proportion of susceptible adults should consider targeted vaccination programmes.

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“…Of the HBsAg-positive pregnant women, 29.1% were HBeAg negative and HBV DNA positive. 48 Surprisingly the HBsAg carrier rate was found to be low (0.9%) in Bhutanese refugees residing in Nepal. 49…”

Section: Hbv In Bhutanmentioning

confidence: 94%

Lower chronic hepatitis B in South Asia despite all odds: Bucking the trend of other infectious diseases

Puri¹,

Srivastava²

2012

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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global health problem. As per estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2 billion people have been infected worldwide, which represents one-third of the world population. Of these, more than 350 million (5-7% of the world's population) suffer from chronic HBV infection. 1,2 Approximately 15-40% of the infected patients will develop life-threatening liver diseases (cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma) resulting in 600,000 to 1.2 million deaths per year due to HBV. 3,4 Epidemiological data on HBV infection is therefore important for strategies to tackle the spread of the disease. Based on the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), countries are classified as having high (>8%), intermediate (2-7%) or low (<2%) HBV endemicity. Areas of high endemicity (where >8% of the population is HBsAg positive) include SouthEast Asia, China, most of Africa, most of Pacific Islands, the Amazon basin and parts of the Middle East. The areas of intermediate endemicity (2-7%) include South Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, Russia and Central and South America. On the other hand areas with low endemicity (<2%) include United States, Western Europe and Australia. 5 The South Asian countries, a contiguous block of countries which have been classified together as Global Burden of Disease Regions include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. 6 People in South Asia are at a higher risk of developing infectious diseases due to poverty and its associated problems of unhygienic living conditions, malnutrition, illiteracy, and poor access to clean water, toilet facilities, and quality health care. Spread of HBV infection in many South Asian countries is attributed to unsafe blood supply, reuse of contaminated syringes, lack of maternal screening to prevent perinatal transmission and delay in the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine. 7 However, it is intriguing that bucking the trend of other infectious diseases, the prevalence of HBV in South Asian countries is lower than some of the more affluent neighbors in the South East Asian countries. Re-emphasizing the lower prevalence of HBV in South Asia is an article by Shrestha et al 8 in this issue of Tropical Gastroenterology, which shows that the prevalence of HBV in Nepal is even lower than that in other countries of South Asia. HBV in India India is the largest nation in the region and by its sheer population bears the bulk of HBV burden in South Asia and accounts for 10-15% of the entire pool of HBV carriers of the world. 9 It has been estimated that India has over 40 million HBV carriers. Of the 25 million infants born every year in India, it is estimated that over one million run the lifetime risk of developing chronic HBV infection. Every year over 100,000 Indians die due to illnesses related to HBV infection. 10

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Viral hepatitis in the Bhutanese population: preliminary results of a seroepidemiological investigation

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Distinct prevalence of antibodies to the E2 protein of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in different parts of the world

Distinct prevalence of antibodies to the E2 protein of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in different parts of the world

Declining hepatitis A seroprevalence: a global review and analysis

Lower chronic hepatitis B in South Asia despite all odds: Bucking the trend of other infectious diseases

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