Prevalence of hepatitis E virus in children from Northeast of Argentina.

Authors :: Martínez AP
Pereson MJ
Pérez PS
Baeck MI
Mandó P
López Saubidet I
Di Lello FA
Source :: Journal of medical virology [J Med Virol] 2021 Jun; Vol. 93 (6), pp. 4015-4017. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jul 14.
Publication Year :: 2021
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in a young population from the Northeast region of Argentina. Four hundred and twelve patients under 18 years old, from rural areas of Chaco Province, were tested for anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-HEV IgG antibodies were detected in 7 out of 412 patients, accounting for an overall 1.7% prevalence. HEV infection in developing countries is associated to lack of clean drinking water. Consequently, the seroprevalence observed in children in rural areas of Chaco, Argentina, where the access to tap water is less than 15%, was unexpectedly low.<br /> (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)