Seroprevalence of hepatitis E in blood donors in Santiago, Chile: a monocentric cross-sectional study
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Published on: March 13, 2015
Lorena Porte1, Ian Batista Weitzel1, Costanza Martínez-Valdebenito2
1Laboratorio Clínico, Clínica Alemana, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
Objectives:
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is emerging but under-recognized worldwide. However, the epidemiology and ecology of this infection in Chile are poorly understood. This study aimed to detect and analyze hepatitis E seroprevalence among blood donors at a private health care center in Santiago, Chile.
Methods:
Leftover sera were collected from 354 volunteer blood donors aged 18-65 years in July 2020. After recording sex, age, and municipality of residence, the specimens were anonymized and tested for anti-HEV immunoglobulin G antibodies using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Wantai BioPharm). Municipalities were classified according to socioeconomic status as a proxy for income level. Statistical analyses were conducted using R software.
Results:
The overall seroprevalence was 15.3% (95% confidence interval, 11.9-19.4%). The prevalence increased significantly with age (50-65 years, 33.9%) and was higher among residents of lower-income municipalities than among those of higher-income municipalities (21.9% vs 11.7%). Multivariate analysis confirmed that age 50-65 years (odds ratio, 20.2) and residence in a lower-income municipality (odds ratio, 2.3) were independent predictors of HEV seropositivity.
Conclusion:
This study provides information on HEV exposure in adults in Santiago, Chile. Seroprevalence was highest in older age groups and among residents of lower-income municipalities. Further studies on HEV are needed to clarify its transmission cycle, circulating genotypes, and clinical relevance in Chile.
