ABSTRACT
Background: Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection occurs predominantly by the faeco oral route. Cases of transmission through blood transfusion have also been reported. Currently, blood donors in India are not screened for HEV. So the present study has been undertaken to know the sero-prevalence of HEV and to determine the status of endemicity of this infection. The aim of this study is to determine the sero-prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among blood donors in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Method: 551 blood donors’ samples analysed for presence of Anti HEV IgG using 3rd generation HEV ELISA kit. The serum samples were also tested for detection of HIV, HBsAg, HCV infections, Syphilis and Malaria. Results: The study included 551 donors, of which 99% (546) were males. The sero-positivity for anti-HEV IgG antibodies was 10.7%, the maximum sero-positivity being in the age group 51-65. All the donors were non- reactive for HIV, HCV, HBsAg infections, Syphilis and Malaria. Conclusion: High Prevalence of IgG antibodies (10.7%) shows that HEV is endemic in our region. However, more studies with confirmatory assays need to be done before making it a mandatory screening test for blood donors.
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging infectious threat to blood safety. In recent years, there have been a number of publications delineating this threat by providing evidence of the transmissibility of this virus through transfusions. The extent of transmission and its clinical relevance are issues under debate at present. HEV usually causes a self-limiting illness which subsides in a few weeks barring a few cases where fulminant hepatic failure occurs. The virus poses a risk of higher morbidity and mortality in pregnant females, patients with pre-existing liver disease and solid organ transplant recipients. As these categories of patient often require repeated transfusions or massive transfusions, they are exposed to a greater risk of transmission of HEV. At present, there is little evidence to advocate universal screening for this virus but considering that there is no definitive treatment for HEV induced hepatitis, selective screening should be advocated in blood products for high risk recipients in endemic areas.