title: Age-wise exposure rates to hepatitis e virus in a southern Indian patient population without liver disease.
abstract: To determine the age-stratified exposure to hepatitis E virus (HEV) in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in southern India, serum samples from 600 individuals were tested using a commercial HEV IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Subjects were composed of blood donors, antenatal women, and pre-operative individuals who were negative for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis C virus with no evidence of liver disease; 200 each were 1-5 and 6-15 years old and 100 each were 16-40 and > or = 41 years old. One (0.5%) sample was positive in those 1-5 years old, two (1.0%) in those 6-15 years old, eight (8%) in those 16-40 years old, and 13 (13%) in those > or = 41 years old. The overall seropositivity rate was 4%. However, there was an age-related increase in exposure to HEV that was statistically significant (P < 0.001), with a higher HEV seropositivity in urban individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. hubertdariusj@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hubert Darius J
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Aswin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warier
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Gopalan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sridharan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G