title: Prevalence of hepatitis E virus antibodies in individuals exposed to swine in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
abstract: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies (anti-HEV) among individuals exposed to swine in the rural areas of the state of Mato Grosso (MT) in Brazil. The study included 310 participants who had an average age of 39 years. Fifty-one per cent of the participants were female and 26 (8.4%) were anti-HEV-positive. Concomitantly, we studied 101 blood donors from the urban area of the state capital who had never lived in a rural area or handled swine. Four per cent (4%) of these individuals were anti-HEV-positive (p = 0.206). When we compared the anti-HEV-positive participants who had been exposed to swine with the anti-HEV-negative participants, we noticed associations between the presence of anti-HEV and increased age, a history of blood transfusions and contact with other farm animals. However, after a multivariate analysis was performed, this association was not confirmed. Finally, the ratio of anti-HEV-positive individuals who had been exposed to swine in rural MT was similar to that found in previous studies in Brazil. This prevalence did not characterise this type of exposure as a risk factor for HEV infection in this region.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sabrina Monteiro Tosoncin da
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Jacqueline Mendes de
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Cláudia Lamarca
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Vitral
authors.forename: Karina de Almeida
authors.initials: Kde A
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Marcelo Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Francisco José Dutra
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Souto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D034421:Sus scrofa; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G