First detection of hepatitis E virus in central Argentina: environmental and serological survey

MARTÍNEZ WASSAF MG; PISANO MB; BARRIL P; ELBARCHA O; PINTO MA; MENDES DE OLIVEIRA J; DI GIUSTO P; NATES SV; RE VE

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY : THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PAN AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL VIROLOGY.

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 61 p. 334 - 339

1386-6532

tBackground: The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emergent causative agent of acute hepatitis worldwide,transmitted by fecal-oral route. In Argentina it is considered rare, so differential laboratory testing is notroutinely performed. Besides, in Argentina?s central area epidemiological and molecular characteristicsof HEV are still unknown.Objectives: Provide evidence of local circulation of HEV by molecular detection on environmental samplesand by serological survey in healthy adult population of Córdoba city, Argentina.Study design: Environmental surveillance was conducted in river and sewage samples collected between2007 and 2009?2011. Viral detection was performed by RT-Nested PCR of ORF-1 and ORF-2 partialregions. Anti-HEV IgG was determined by EIA in 433 serum samples collected between 2009 and 2010.Results: HEV was detected in 6.3% of raw sewage samples and in 3.2% of riverine samples. Nucleotidesequencing analyses revealed that all isolates belonged to genotype 3, subtypes a, b and c. The prevalenceof IgG anti-HEV was 4.4%. Seroprevalence increased with the age of the individuals (OR: 3.50; 95% CI1.39?8.87; p = 0.0065) and, although the prevalence was higher in low income population, no statisticalrelation was found between anti-HEV and socioeconomic level.Conclusions: The environmental findings added to serological results, demonstrate that HEV circulatesin central Argentina. Contamination of water with HEV could represent a route of transmission for localpopulations, which have a high number of susceptible individuals. This fact alerts local health care systemsin order to include detection of HEV in the diagnostic algorithm of viral hepatitis.