title: Hepatitis E virus infections in children age 0-15, Uganda outbreak, 2007.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections among children is not well understood, with some studies reporting that hepatitis E infections do not affect children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We analyzed seroepidemiologic data collected during a hepatitis E outbreak in Uganda to determine prevalence of past and recent HEV infections among children aged 0-15 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals were randomly selected from a household census to participate in a seroprevalence survey. We analyzed data on IgM and IgG antibody to HEV among children aged 0-15 years. We categorized the study population by age group [aged 0-5, 6-10, and 11-15 years], and further stratified the youngest children [aged 0-1, 2-3, and 4-5 years]. Presence of IgG anti-HEV alone indicated past HEV infection, whereas recent infection was defined as presence of IgM anti-HEV with or without IgG anti-HEV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among children aged 0-15 years (N=244), prevalence of past HEV infection was 25.4% (62/244) and was highest among children aged 0-5 years [31.0% (27/87)]. Evidence of recent HEV infection was detected in 37.3% (91/244) of children aged 0-15 years. Among younger children, recent HEV infection increased with age from 4.3% (1/23) in children aged 0-1 year to 36.7% (11/30) in children aged 4-5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show that children are not spared from HEV infections. Illness during childhood in developing countries is common and HEV infections may be misdiagnosed as another acute illness, or under diagnosed. The lack of clinical care, HEV diagnostics, and surveillance in developing countries limit our full understanding of hepatitis E epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge Institute for Sciences and Education, United States. Electronic address: rajiv.c.patel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rajiv C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States.
authors.forename: Saleem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamili
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States.
authors.forename: Eyasu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teshale
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies
keywords: Acute viral hepatitis; Children; Hepatitis E infection; Uganda