Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Apparently Healthy Individuals from Osun State, Nigeria
Folakemi Abiodun Osundare,
Patrycja Klink,
Catharina Majer,
Olusola Aanuoluwapo Akanbi,
Bo Wang,
Mirko Faber,
Dominik Harms,
C.-Thomas Bock,
Oladele Oluyinka Opaleye
Affiliations
Folakemi Abiodun Osundare
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo PMB 4400, Nigeria
Patrycja Klink
Department Infectious Diseases, Viral Gastroenteritis and Hepatitis Pathogens and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Catharina Majer
Department Infectious Diseases, Viral Gastroenteritis and Hepatitis Pathogens and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Olusola Aanuoluwapo Akanbi
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo PMB 4400, Nigeria
Bo Wang
Department Infectious Diseases, Viral Gastroenteritis and Hepatitis Pathogens and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Mirko Faber
Gastrointestinal Infections, Zoonoses and Tropical Infections Unit, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Dominik Harms
Department Infectious Diseases, Viral Gastroenteritis and Hepatitis Pathogens and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
C.-Thomas Bock
Department Infectious Diseases, Viral Gastroenteritis and Hepatitis Pathogens and Enteroviruses, Robert Koch Institute, German Ministry of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Oladele Oluyinka Opaleye
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo PMB 4400, Nigeria
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a major public health concern in low-income countries, yet incidence and prevalence estimates are often lacking. Serum (n = 653) and faecal (n = 150) samples were collected from apparently healthy individuals using convenience sampling technique in six communities (Ore, Oke-Osun, Osogbo, Ede, Esa-Odo, and Iperindo) from Osun State, Nigeria. Serum samples were analysed for total anti-HEV IgG/IgM and anti-HEV IgM using commercially available HEV ELISA kits. Total anti-HEV positive serum and all stool samples were analysed for HEV RNA by RT-PCR. Overall, 15.0% (n = 98/653) and 3.8% (n = 25/653) of the serum samples were positive for anti-HEV total and IgM antibodies, respectively. Total anti-HEV and IgM in Ore, Oke-Osun, Osogbo, Ede, Esa-Odo, and Iperindo was 21.0% (n = 13/62) and 3.2% (n = 2/62), 19.4% (n = 20/103) and 6.8% (n = 7/103), 11.4% (n = 12/105) and 2.9% (n = 3/105), 8.0% (n = 16/199) and 1.5% (n = 3/199), 22.0% (n = 22/100) and 10.0% (n = 10/100), and 17.9% (n = 15/84) and 0.0% (n = 0/84), respectively. All samples (stool and serum) were HEV RNA negative. Anti-HEV seroprevalence was associated with rural location, increasing age, alcohol consumption, and rearing of animals. This study demonstrated a high anti-HEV seroprevalence in Osun State, indicating the need to implement surveillance and asses the hepatitis E burden in Nigeria.
