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Aim: This study investigated hepatitis E virus (HEV) prevalence among pregnant women in Siem Reap, Cambodia, by developing a cost‐effective, user‐friendly in‐house enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting total anti‐HEV immunoglobulins (Ig). Methods: The in‐house ELISA was designed for large‐scale screening in resource‐limited settings. Its performance was benchmarked against two commercial tests: the Anti‐HEV IgG EIA (Institute of Immunology, Co. Ltd) and the Anti‐HEV IgG RecomLine LIA (Mikrogen). The in‐house ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 76% and 71.4%, and a specificity of 94.1% and 98.6%, against the two commercial tests, respectively, with overall agreement rates of 92.4% and 94.3%. Results: Among 1565 tested pregnant women, 11.6% were anti‐HEV positive. Prevalence increased with age, particularly in women aged 35–40 years and over 40 years. No significant associations were found with education, number of children, family size, or history of blood transfusion and surgery, except for the occupation of the family head as a public officer. Of the total anti‐HEV positive women, 22.7% had anti‐HEV IgM, indicating recent or ongoing infection. Conclusion: The study concluded that the in‐house ELISA is a viable option for HEV screening in regions with limited resources due to its high accuracy and cost‐effectiveness. It is particularly suitable for large‐scale studies and public health interventions in areas where HEV is endemic and poses a significant risk to pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion In Japan, despite low nationwide hepatitis C (HCV) incidence, new infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM) hinder HCV elimination. We explored HCV transmission dynamics and screened HCV recombination within these populations.This cross‐sectional study recruited HCV‐infected patients from Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan, from January 2010 to September 2023. Data from questionnaires and medical records were analyzed. Serum samples collected before anti‐HCV treatment underwent HCV RNA extraction, and sequencing of full core (576 bp) and NS5B (267 bp) regions using the Sanger method. Genotype distribution was determined by phylogenetic analysis, and recombinant screening was conducted.A total of 115 patients were categorized into non‐MSM PWID (31), MSM PWID (15), MSM non‐PWID (25), and non‐MSM non‐PWID (44). Positive amplification rates were 99.1% (114/115) for the full‐core region, and 96.5% (111/115) for NS5B. No intergenotypic recombination was detected. The predominant genotype in non‐MSM PWID was 2a (58%), whereas genotype 1b was most common in MSM PWID, MSM non‐PWID, and non‐MSM non‐PWID groups (79%, 64%, and 68%, respectively). Nucleotide sequence similarity of 94.75%–100% was found in HCV strains from MSM PWID and MSM non‐PWID in both full‐core and NS5B regions, whereas strains from non‐MSM PWID and non‐MSM non‐PWID were distinct.The findings suggest that the transmission route in PWID is determined by MSM status, whereas MSM groups showed the same transmission route regardless of PWID. HCV control measures should be focused not only on PWID, but also on MSM to achieve HCV elimination in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major global health issue, with an estimated 20 million infections annually. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the diagnostic gold standard due to its precision, it is expensive and technically demanding. Antibody tests offer a more practical and cost‐effective alternative, although their accuracy can vary due to factors, such as test manufacturer, antigen composition, HEV genotype, and host immune status.A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies included comparing the sensitivity and specificity of immunoglobulin M or immunoglobulin G antibody tests to PCR. Exclusion criteria were non‐PCR comparisons, sample sizes under 10, IgA or antigen tests, non‐human samples, or missing sensitivity and specificity data. Only English‐language full‐texts or abstracts were considered. Data analysis was performed using Meta‐DTA v2.1.1 and Stata 16.0.The meta‐analysis evaluated 8054 blood samples from 21 studies. Immunoglobulin M antibody tests demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 83% (95% CI 76–88) and specificity of 98% (95% CI 97–99). Immunoglobulin G tests showed a sensitivity of 74% (95% CI 62–82) and specificity of 89% (95% CI 84–93). Among manufacturers, Wantai was the most accurate for immunoglobulin M detection, whereas MP led for immunoglobulin G. Notably, test sensitivity improved when the test protein genotype aligned with the HEV genotype.This meta‐analysis confirmed that antibody assays have a good sensitivity and high specificity to detect HEV infection in situations where PCR is not feasible, highlighting their potential as a practical diagnostic tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]