Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Blood Donors: The Current Scenario in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of North India.

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.