RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis E is a disease of global distribution, with significant morbidity and mortality, whose scope and burden continue to emerge in low endemic countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 2012, we studied the prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in 202 adult serum samples. We also analyzed samples from 143 patients with acute non-A-C hepatitis from January 2011 to December 2013. Acute HEV infections were diagnosed with anti-HEV IgM and/or HEV RNA. HEV RNA was also investigated in 94 swine fecal samples. HEV RNA was sequenced and characterized. RESULTS: We found higher values of prevalence than those previously reported in the 1990s. The overall prevalence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies was 15.4%. The prevalence was 10.6% in the 123 adults voluntarily screened on World Hepatitis Day 2012 in Buenos Aires city and 14.8, 16.7 and 35.7% respectively in the smaller groups of healthcare workers, blood donors and HIV-positive patients from different regions of the country. Nine acute HEV infections were diagnosed in the three years analyzed. We characterized new human variants of subgenotype 3a and 3i. New subgenotype 3i variants were found in swine from two distant provinces closely related to the human ones. CONCLUSIONS: These results enlarge the knowledge of HEV and contribute with new information. However, higher values of prevalence found in small groups need to be confirmed in larger studies. Many aspects of the spectrum of the disease and the reservoirs and routes of transmission are still unknown and thus deserve additional research.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Anti-Hepatite/sangue , Vírus da Hepatite E/imunologia , Hepatite E/diagnóstico , Hepatite E/veterinária , Imunoglobulina M/sangue , Doenças dos Suínos/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Argentina/epidemiologia , Biomarcadores/sangue , Fezes/virologia , Feminino , Genótipo , Hepatite E/sangue , Hepatite E/epidemiologia , Hepatite E/imunologia , Vírus da Hepatite E/genética , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Prevalência , RNA Viral/sangue , Kit de Reagentes para Diagnóstico , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Testes Sorológicos , Suínos , Doenças dos Suínos/sangue , Doenças dos Suínos/imunologia , Fatores de Tempo , Carga Viral , Adulto JovemRESUMO
By using molecular surveillance of hepatitis A virus, we characterized for the first time a subgenotype IB imported case in Argentina, a country with universal vaccination since 2005. The case was a crew member of a cruise ship. We consider this a case alert because of its multiple implications.
