Seroepidemiology of hepatitis E virus infection in Mexican subjects 1 to 29 years of age.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes an acute, self-limited hepatitis associated with high mortality in pregnant women. Community-based surveys are scarce and information on HEV infection in populations is needed. The aim of this work was to study seroprevalence to HEV in young adults and children in Mexico, using a community-based survey.


METHODS
Serum samples from 3,549 individuals were studied; the population included subjects from 1 to 29 years old from all regions of the country representing all socioeconomic levels. IgG anti-HEV was determined by ELISA.


RESULTS
Anti-HEV antibodies were found in 374 (10.5%) individuals. Seroprevalence increased with age from 1.1% in children younger than 5 years to 14.2% in persons 26 to 29 years of age (p = 0.006). Risk factors for infection included living in rural communities and a low educational level. Seroprevalence was not associated with the level of regional development.


CONCLUSIONS
HEV infection is endemic in Mexico. Age, type of community, and educational level were identified as risk factors for infection.
Alvarez-Muñoz
M T
MT
Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), D.F., Mexico.
Torres
J
J
Damasio
L
L
Gómez
A
A
Tapia-Conyer
R
R
Muñoz
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies