Abstracts of the 2024 Annual Meeting of the ALEH
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Introduction and ObjectivesHepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic virus transmitted via the fecal-oral route with a generally favorable prognosis. However, higher risks exist for pregnant or immunocompromised patients. Infection occurs through contaminated food, water, or direct contact with infected blood. Its asymptomatic nature and favorable prognosis likely contribute to underreporting in Brazil, especially in peri-urban and rural areas with limited healthcare access. Objective: To evaluate the seroprevalence of HEV in patients with mono-infection of Hepatitis B and co-infection with Delta virus in Rondônia.
Patients / Materials and MethodsAn exploratory cross-sectional study using the Dia.Pro HEV Ab total ELISA kit for serological evaluation of 177 samples from the serum bank of the Molecular Virology Laboratory at Fiocruz-RO of patients with viral hepatitis from the Tropical Medicine Center (CEMETRON) in Rondônia. The samples were stratified into 74 VHD co-infected and 103 HBV mono-infected groups. The diagnosis of the Delta virus was performed using molecular biology on samples collected between 2018 and 2022. The results were analyzed using T-test and chi-square test.
Results and DiscussionThe total sample consisted of 177 participants, including 95 men, 54 women, and 28 without information. The average age of participants was 41 years (M = 41), with the Delta group averaging 40 years and the HBV mono-infected group averaging 42 years. Of the 74 VHB-VHD sera, 9 (12.16%) were HEV IgG positive, 58 (78.40%) were non-reactive, and 7 (9.45%) were indeterminate. Among the 103 HBV sera, 9 (8.73%) were HEV IgG positive, 86 (83.50%) were non-reactive, and 8 (7.76%) were indeterminate.
ConclusionsThe findings of HEV in HBV and VHD patients in Rondônia showed results similar to those found in studies with other populations. This is the first study on HEV in HBV and VHD patients.
