title: Seroepidemiology of hepatitis E virus infection among preschool children in Taiwan.
abstract: In order to study the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among preschool children in Taiwan, a community-based survey was carried out in 54 kindergartens in 10 urban areas, 10 rural areas, and 2 aboriginal areas randomly selected through stratified sampling. Serum specimens of 2,538 preschool children were screened for HEV antibodies (anti-HEV) by a commercially available enzyme immunoassay. The odd ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multiple logistic regression analysis. A total of 86 children were anti-HEV seropositive, giving a prevalence of 3.4%. The prevalence of anti-HEV was 3.9% (19 of 484) among aboriginal children, a significantly increased seroprevalence compared with that among children who lived in urban areas (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.56-2.95; P < 0.05). Females had a higher anti-HEV seroprevalence than the males (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.14-2.54; P < 0.05). Rates of anti-HEV antibody increased with age in aboriginal areas (chi(2) for trend = 5.59, P = 0.02), but decreased with age in non-aboriginal areas. The poor water supply system, poor sewage disposal, exposure to wild animals, and other environmental conditions in the aboriginal areas might have played a role in their infection with HEV in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Technology, Chung Shan Medical University, 110, Sec. 1, Chien Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan. ldb@csmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ding-Bang
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jye-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shiuan-Chih
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi-Chiang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wen-Kang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chien-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies