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J Hepatol 1998 May;28(5):745-750
Outbreak of enterically-transmitted hepatitis due
to Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E viruses.
Coursaget P, Buisson Y, Enogat N, Bercion R, Baudet JM, Delmaire
P, Prigent D, Desrame J
Institut de Virologie de Tours and Laboratoire d'Immunologie des
Maladies Infectieuses, Faculte de Pharmacie, Tours, France
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
One hundred and eleven patients with acute hepatitis and 61 controls
were investigated for hepatitis serological markers in order to
determine the viral etiology of cases involved in a waterborne epidemic
of hepatitis observed in 1993 in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
(East Africa). These cases occurred both in indigenous Djiboutians,
and in French soldiers and their families in Djibouti. A retrospective
study of the viral etiology of acute hepatitis cases observed in
French soldiers and relatives living in Djibouti during the 3-year
period preceding the epidemic was also undertaken.
METHODS:
HAV, HBV and HCV infections were investigated using commercial
ELISA tests. HEV infections were investigated by testing IgG and
IgM-specific antibodies by means of three different ELISA tests
using recombinant proteins or synthetic peptides.
RESULTS:
Hepatitis A was observed in 37 (33%) and Hepatitis E in 43 (39%)
of the 111 cases of acute hepatitis recorded during this epidemic.
Hepatitis B represented only 6% of the indigenous cases and Hepatitis
C was not observed among the cases investigated. Anti-HEV IgG antibodies
were also detected in 19% of the indigenous control group.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that both HAV and HEV were responsible for
this waterborne epidemic of acute hepatitis. However, HAV and HEV
infections were not equally distributed between French expatriates
and Djibouti residents. Whereas HAV infections were mainly observed
in French patients, HEV was almost exclusively found in indigenous
patients. This study reports for the first time a waterborne outbreak
of acute hepatitis simultaneously due to HAV and HEV.
PMID: 9625307, UI: 98286971
Source:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9625307&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
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