Serological Evidence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in an Indigenous North American Population
Open Access
- 1 January 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
- Vol. 21 (7), 439-442
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/289059
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are thought to be uncommon in North America. Recently, HEV transmission has been reported following the consumption of deer meat. Because deer are closely related to caribou and caribou meat is a staple of the Canadian Inuit and the American Eskimo diet, the present study explored the seroprevalence of HEV infection in an isolated Canadian Inuit community.METHODS: Stored sera were thawed and tested for immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM anti-HEV by ELISA, and tested for HEV-RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: The study consisted of 393 sera (representing approximately 50% of the community’s inhabitants). Eleven samples (3%) were IgG anti-HEV-positive. Their mean age was 29±8 years and three were male. Two of 11 (18%) were also IgM anti-HEV-positive. All IgG anti-HEV-positive individuals were HEV-RNA-negative. Liver biochemistry was normal in all. Seven of 11 (64%) were also positive for anti-hepatitis A virus, five (46%) were hepatitis B virus seropositive and none (0%) were positive for anti-hepatitis C virus. There were no associations between infections with HEV and other hepatropic viruses. Serological testing was negative for HEV infection in 25 caribou from an adjacent region.CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that serological evidence of HEV infection was present in 3% of the observed Canadian Inuit population; the presence of IgM anti-HEV suggested recent infection and HEV did not appear to coinfect with other common hepatotropic viruses. The source of HEV infection in the population remains unclear. These findings are interesting but preliminary. Additional data are required to determine whether HEV infections are responsible for otherwise unexplained acute hepatitis in the Canadian Inuit population and visitors returning from northern North American communities.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Stability of lyophilised specimens for the molecular detection of viral DNA/RNAJournal of Clinical Virology, 2006
- Hepatitis E in the south west of France in individuals who have never visited an endemic areaJournal of Medical Virology, 2004
- Hepatitis E in pregnancyInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2004
- Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus from deer to human beingsThe Lancet, 2003
- Polyphyletic Strains of Hepatitis E Virus Are Responsible for Sporadic Cases of Acute Hepatitis in JapanJournal of Clinical Microbiology, 2002
- Blood-borne pathogens routine surveillance system report.2002
- Natural history and risk factors in fulminant hepatic failureArchives of Disease in Childhood, 2002
- Hepatitis E Virus Sequences in Swine Related to Sequences in Humans, the NetherlandsEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2001
- IgM and IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) detected by an enzyme immunoassay based on an HEV-specific artificial recombinant mosaic proteinJournal of Medical Virology, 1996
- ELISA for Antibody to Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Based on Complete Open-Reading Frame-2 Protein Expressed in Insect Cells: Identification of HEV Infection in PrimatesThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1993