[Serologic markers to hepatitis E virus in residents in nonendemic regions]

Hepatitis E is a disease endemic for countries with tropical and subtropical climate with developing national economy. Antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) were detected in the population of other regions of the world, including European and North American countries with well-developed economy, where anti-HEV are regularly detected in 1-3% normal subjects. The number of seropositive subjects is the highest among patients with liver diseases and with some diseases without primary involvement of the liver, in regular blood donors, medical workers, and in patients treated by hemoperfusion or blood preparations for a long time. A common risk factor for the majority of these categories is contact with contaminated blood, although there is no direct evidence proving parenteral transmission of hepatitis E.