Antibody levels to hepatitis E virus in North Carolina swine workers, non-swine workers, swine, and murids.
In a cross-sectional serosurvey, eastern North Carolina swine workers (n = 165) were compared with non-swine workers (127) for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus as measured by a quantitative immunoglobulin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Using a cutoff of 20 Walter Reed U/ml, swine-exposed subjects had a 4.5-fold higher antibody prevalence (10.9%) than unexposed subjects (2.4%). No evidence of past clinical hepatitis E or unexplained jaundice could be elicited. Swine (84) and mice (61), from farm sites in the same region as exposed subjects, were also tested. Antibody prevalence in swine (overall = 34.5%) varied widely (10.0-91.7%) according to site, but no antibody was detected in mice. Our data contribute to the accumulating evidence that hepatitis E may be a zoonosis and specifically to the concept of it as an occupational infection of livestock workers.
Withers
Mark R
MR
Department of Virus Diseases, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA. mark.withers@na.amedd.army.mil
Correa
Maria T
MT
Morrow
Morgan
M
Stebbins
Martha E
ME
Seriwatana
Jitvimol
J
Webster
W David
WD
Boak
Marshall B
MB
Vaughn
David W
DW
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000821:virology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies