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Gastroenterol Hepatol 1997 Jun;20(6):295-298
[Epidemiological study of Hepatitis A and E viruses
in different populations in Uruguay].
[Article in Spanish]
Cruells MR, Mescia G, Gaibisso R, Ramirez M, Gutierrez M, Kohen
S, Gonzalez M, Russi J, Chiparelli H, Ucar L, Perez MT
Clinica de Nutricion y Digestivo, Hospital de Clinicas, Montevideo,
Uruguay.
The Hepatitis A and E virus (HAV and HEV) share the fecal-oral
mechanism. Hepatitis A is an endemo-epidemic disease in Uruguay
but no data on the epidemiologic pattern of the HEV is available.
The aims of this study were to update the epidemiologic behavior
of the HAV in Montevideo and demonstrate the circulation of the
HEV in Uruguay. Two hundred fourteen patients who consulted in the
Policlinica de Nutricion y Digestivo were studied, 185 (86%) of
whom were anti HAV (HAVAB, Abbot) positive. 81.8% (117/143) of those
residents in Montevideo and 95.7% (68/71) of those who were from
the inland were anti-HAV positive. From the Montevideo population
55.8% cases under the age of 40 years were anti-HAV positive and
occurred in 97.6% of those older (p < 0.001). Considering the
health care conditions of the positive patients in Montevideo, 95.6%
(43/45) had septic chambers and 75.5% (74/98) disposed of toilet
facilities (p < 0.001). It is concluded that although the global
prevalence has been maintained since 1982, there is a change in
the epidemiologic pattern with greater risk of infection in patients
under the age of 40 years proceeding from areas without toilet facilities.
The prevalence of total antibodies for HEV (EIA, Abbot) was 2.8%
in this population. An association was observed with HAV in 2.2%
(4/185). Moreover, a sample of 252 blood donors from the National
Blood Service was analyzed with 5 being found to be anti HEV positive,
with only 3 (1.2%) being confirmed in the Center for Disease Control
in the United States. Although no definitive conclusions may be
drawn from the present study, from an epidemiologic point of view,
it has been shown that there is evidence of the circulation of HEV
in Uruguay, in both the out patient and in blood donor populations.
PMID: 9296844, UI: 97403803
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