high hepatitis E virus [HEV] seroprevalence among unpaid blood donors and haemodialysis patients in Egypt

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of hepatitis E virus [HEV] infection among unpaid blood donors and haemodialysis patients in Egypt and to find out any possible relationship between HEV and HCV. Serum samples collected from 95 unpaid blood donors and 96 haemodialysis patients were screened for HEV and HCV antibodies by enzyme immunoassay techniques. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 45.2% [43/95] in blood donors and 39.6% [38/96] in haemodialysis patients. Anti-HEV IgG was found in 69.2% [18/26] and 28.6% [20/70] in haemodialysis patients positive and negative for HCV respectively. This study emphasizes that HEV is endemic in Egypt and tends to accumulate in certain groups showing evidence of hepatitis C virus infection as in haemodialysis patients suggesting either shared parenteral risk or increased sensitivity to HEV coinfection; that is to say a possibility of combined route of transmission for HEV