RESUMO
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis in many developing countries. This study describes an outbreak of HEV infection in Al-Sadr city, Baghdad. Blood samples obtained from patients with jaundice attending 19 primary health care centres in AI-Sadr city during a 6-month period in 2005 were tested for HEV. HEV (IgM) antibodies were detected in 38.1% of 268 patients. The association of HEV infection with unacceptable residual chlorine concentrations and/or bacteriologically unsafe water samples was significant. High rates of HEV infection, low chlorine concentrations and unsafe water were reported in June. Gross isruption of sanitation and water supplies was the most likely contributing factor.
Assuntos
Surtos de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricos , Hepatite E/epidemiologia , Hepatite E/transmissão , Saúde da População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Microbiologia da Água , Purificação da Água , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Área Programática de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Criança , Países em Desenvolvimento , Surtos de Doenças/prevenção & controle , Estudos Epidemiológicos , Feminino , Hepatite E/prevenção & controle , Hepatite E/virologia , Humanos , Iraque/epidemiologia , Icterícia/virologia , Masculino , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Estações do Ano , Distribuição por Sexo , Purificação da Água/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Hepatitis E virus [HEV] is a major cause of acute hepatitis in many developing countries. This study describes an outbreak of HEV infection in Al-Sadr city, Baghdad. Blood samples obtained from patients with jaundice attending 19 primary health care centres in Al-Sadr city during a 6-month period in 2005 were tested for HEV. HEV [IgM] antibodies were detected in 38.1% of 268 patients. The association of HEV infection with unacceptable residual chlorine concentrations and/or bacteriologically unsafe water samples was significant. High rates of HEV infection, low chlorine concentrations and unsafe water were reported in June. Gross disruption of sanitation and water supplies was the most likely contributing factor
