title: Epidemiology of hepatitis E in Northeastern China, South Korea and Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in Northeastern Asia is unknown. This study was conducted to gain insight into the epidemiology of HEV that has been obscure in Northeastern China, South Korea and Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1500 samples of serum were collected (300 each) from 5 groups of inhabitants over 40 years of age (Korean Chinese, indigenous Chinese, South Koreans, Koreans living in Japan, and indigenous Japanese) and screened for antibodies to HEV by the antigen-antibody-antigen sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positivity for HEV antibodies was 50.7% (95%CI: 45.0-56.3) in Korean Chinese, 47.7% (95%CI: 42.1-53.3) in indigenous Chinese, 34% (95%CI: 28.9-39.5) in South Koreans, 14.3% (95%CI: 10.8-18.8) in Koreans living in Japan, and 6.0% (95%CI: 3.8-9.3) in indigenous Japanese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result emphasizes that HEV is endemic in Northeastern Asia and tends to accumulate in developing countries. Further studies are needed to elucidate the genotype of HEV circulating in these areas and its transmission route-water-borne outbreaks, smaller outbreaks or sporadic forms attributed to zoonosis-with reference to past epidemics, food culture, and sanitary conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Kobe Asahi Hospital, Nagata-ku, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Soo Ryang
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishiro
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Myung Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Haesun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Man Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Zhong Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mi Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jinnv
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies