Serological and molecular retrospective analysis of hepatitis E suspected cases from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon 1993-2014

• Main Authors: Alex Junior Souza de Souza, Andreza Pinheiro Malheiros, Vânia Pinto Sarmento, Fabricio de Souza Resende, Max Moreira Alves, Heloisa Marceliano Nunes, Manoel do Carmo Pereira Soares, Lilian Rose Marques de Sá
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2019-04-01
• Series: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Subjects: Latin America; HEV; Serology; Molecular biology; Acute hepatitis
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822019000100647&lng=en&tlng=en
• ISSN: 1678-9849

Abstract INTRODUCTION We evaluated the anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibody prevalence and HEV-RNA in archived serum samples of non-A-C hepatitis, or suspected cases of HEV infection from the Eastern Brazilian Amazon from 1993 to 2014. METHODS Serum samples (n = 318) were tested using ELISA and immunoblotting, and screened for HEV-RNA by RT-qPCR. RESULTS Anti-HEV IgM and IgG were detected in 3.4% (11/318) and 5.9% (19/318) of the samples, respectively. All samples were HEV-RNA negative. CONCLUSIONS HEV was detected at a low prevalence. Broader serological and molecular evaluation of HEV infection in the Amazon region should be carried out.