Hepatitis E virus infection prevalence among selected populations in Iowa.
BACKGROUND
HEV causes an enteric infectious disease endemic in developing areas with hot climate. A case of endogenous HEV infection has been reported in the US. Recently, HEV-like virus was isolated from swine in Iowa. Swine production is a major industry in Iowa with the potential for human exposure to swine in and around industrial and family farm operations.


OBJECTIVE
The study objective was to determine whether individuals in Iowa are exposed to HEV.


METHODS
Anti-HEV antibody prevalence in four selected Iowa populations was determined. Sera were collected from 204 patients with non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis (non-A-C); 87 staff members of the Department of Natural Resources (DRN); 332 volunteer blood donors in 1989; and 111 volunteer blood donors in 1998. All sera were tested for anti-human HEV IgM and IgG by ELISA with confirmation of positivity by a peptide neutralization test.


RESULTS
Both the patients with non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis (4.9%) and the healthy field workers from the Iowa DNR (5.7%) showed significantly higher prevalence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies compared to normal blood donor sera collected in 1998 (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Human HEV or a HEV-like agent circulates in the Iowa geographical area. At-risk human populations with occupational exposure to wild animals and environmental sources of domestic animal wastes or with unexplained hepatitis have increased seroprevalence of HEV antibodies.
Karetnyi
Y V
YV
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Gilchrist
M J
MJ
Naides
S J
SJ
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M