Antibodies to hepatitis E in Portuguese mothers and their newborns

The high mortality of pregnant women is one of the main features of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in endemic countries. With the emergence of genotype 3 HEV in industrialized countries, attention should be given to pregnant women from these regions since the effect of genotype 3 HEV in pregnancy is not yet known. In this study, archived sera dating from 1993 from mothers with no history of traveling to HEV endemic countries and their newborns were tested for anti-HEV IgG antibodies. Four of the 12 maternal sera were positive for IgG anti-HEV, indicating exposure to this virus. Their newborns were also positive, showing higher anti-HEV IgG levels. Overall, these findings demonstrate not only an efficient transplacental transport of anti-HEV IgG, but also circulation of autochthonous HEV in Portugal in the early 1990s.