Comparison of hepatitis A and E virus infections among healthy children in Mongolia: evidence for infection with a subgenotype IA HAV in children.
To compare the epidemiologic profiles of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in children in Mongolia, the prevalence of HAV and HEV infections was investigated serologically and molecularly among 717 apparently healthy individuals of 0-20 years of age (mean +/- standard deviation, 8.6 +/- 4.9 years) using serum samples obtained between October 2005 and January 2006. Total antibody against HAV (anti-HAV [total]) was detected in 494 (68.9%) of the 717 subjects, while IgG antibody against HEV (anti-HEV IgG) was detected in only five subjects (0.7%) (P < 0.0001). All five subjects who had anti-HEV IgG, were negative for anti-HEV IgM and HEV RNA. Anti-HAV was detectable in 24 (75.0%) of the 32 infants aged 7 days to 6 months, but not in any of the 8 infants aged 7 to <12 months. The prevalence of anti-HAV was 19.5% (17/87) in the age group of 1-3 years, and it increased to 50.0% (69/138) in the age group of 4-6 years, and further to 81.4% (105/129) in the age group of 7-9 years. Of note, 97.2% of the subjects in the age group of 16-20 years had anti-HAV. The presence of HAV RNA was tested in all 717 subjects, and three children of 1, 4, or 8 years of age were found to have detectable HAV RNA (subgenotype IA). No subject had a history of hepatitis or jaundice. In conclusion, HEV infection was uncommon, but HAV infection lacking overt clinical features was prevalent among children in Mongolia.
Tsatsralt-Od
Bira
B
Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi-Ken, Japan.
Takahashi
Masaharu
M
Endo
Kazunori
K
Agiimaa
Dondog
D
Buyankhuu
Osorjin
O
Okamoto
Hiroaki
H
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005838:Genotype; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008986:Mongolia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies