title: An outbreak of hepatitis E and high maternal mortality at Port Sudan, Eastern Sudan.
abstract: During 4 months (November 2010-March 2011) of an outbreak of hepatitis E virus (HEV), 39 pregnant women presented at Port Sudan Hospital, Sudan, with various symptoms of viral hepatitis. The diagnosis of viral hepatitis was confirmed by serology using ELISA anti-HEV IgG and IgM. The mean (SD) maternal age and gestational age were 24·0 (4·2) years and 33·6 (3·7) weeks, respectively. Eight (20·5%) women were primigravidae. There were 11 (28·2%) maternal deaths, 14 (36·0%) intrauterine fetal deaths, and eight (20·5%) cases of postpartum haemorrhage. There were nine (23·0%) cases of preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) deliveries. Fulminant hepatitis with hepatic encephalopathy was the most common cause of death among these patients. Nine of these women died before delivery and the other two died immediately following the delivery due to severe haemorrhage. There were no significant differences in clinical and biochemical data between the women who died (11) and those who survived.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Duria A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rayis
authors.forename: Ammar M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jumaa
authors.forename: Gasim I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Gasim
authors.forename: Mubark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Karsany
authors.forename: Ishag
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005865:Gestational Age; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D010298:Parity; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral