Risk of hepatitis E virus infection among some schistosomiasis patients in Egypt

ABSTRACT

This study included 200 individuals; 100 were suffering from S. mansoni as confirmed by stool egg count, rectal snip, abdominal ultrasound and liver biopsy and the second 100 cases were parasite- free individuals serving as normal controls. The main symptoms of group I were dyspepsia, fatigue, dysentery, bleeding per rectum and hepatomegaly. There was no significant difference in the transaminase levels [SGPT and SGOT] between both groups. The prevalence of HEV-ab [ab [IgM] among group I was 31% and group II 14%, with a highly significant increase in group I. There was no correlation between the number of egg count in stools and HEV infectivity. Thus, the prevalence of HEV was higher in the rural areas and in schistosomiasis patients, in particular, due to low socio-hygienic conditions under which the patients are living. Also, schistosomiasis may play a role in virus infection by altering the immune system