E0487 - Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Healthy Blood Donors at the Blood Bank of the Regional General Hospital Number 45 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Location: Crown Ballroom

Presenting Author(s)

Antonio Pizuorno Machado, MD

University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, TX

Edgar D Copado-Villagrana, MD, MPH¹, Antonio Pizuorno Machado, MD²
¹Mexican Social Security Service, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; ²University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX

Introduction: Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is currently considered one of the main causal agents of acute liver infection. The main route of transmission is fecal-oral, however, it is reported the possibility through blood transfusion specially with highest risk in immunosuppressed patients. In Mexico, HEV infection does not have a special epidemiological surveillance system even though is considered endemic. Mexico has reported a seroprevalence of 10.5%. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in healthy donors from the Blood Bank of the Regional General Hospital Number 45 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

Methods: 691 serum were taken from subjects who attended the Blood Bank and who met the conditions for safe blood donation in accordance with the protocol previously established. A data collection card with information about factors associated with virus infection was obtained from each of the subjects. Serum samples were analyzed by ELISA for the determination of IgG and IgM anti-HEV antibodies. Categorical variables were analyzed for their relationship with the presence of anti-HEV antibodies in the blood culture by bivariate analysis using Chi-square or Fisher's Exact Test.

Results: 691 serum from healthy donors were analyzed, of which 65 were reactive to the ELISA test for anti-HEV antibodies. Of these serum, 19 (2.7%) showed reactivity to anti-HEV IgM and 49 (7.1%) to anti-HEV IgG. Only in 3 (0.4%) the presence of both types of antibodies was identified. It was observed that the average age among the positive cases was significantly higher than in the rest of the subjects studied, in addition to the fact that the presence of pets in the home was associated with a significantly higher risk of exposure to the virus. In the other factors studied, no statistical significance was found.

Discussion: The seroprevalence of HEV in the study population is 9.4%. The presence of pets in the home and age over 40 years represent a risk factor for exposure to HEV. This coincides with what is reported in the international literature, where it is mentioned that the risk of infection increases with age and with close contact with animals. The present study demonstrates that HEV can be a public health problem dismissed by the authorities in Mexico and particularly in this Jalisco specially in the immunocompromised population that are due to receive blood transfusions.

Characteristic	Total population	Confirmed cases	p*
N	691	65
Reactive to IgM anti VHE (%)	19 (2.7)	19 (29.2)
Reactive IgG anti VHE (%)	49 (7.1)	49 (75.4)
Housing in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (%)	663 (95.9)	65 (100)	0.08
Rural housing (%)	14 (2.0)	2 (3.1)	0.53
Non-drinking water in the house (%)	4 (0.6)	0(0)	0.52
Septic tank (%)	5 (0.7)	1 (1.5)	0.42
Consumption of pasteurized milk (%)	574 (83.1)	50 (80)	0.49
Consumption of unpasteurized milk (%)	9 (1.3)	2 (3.1)	0.32
Average days per week of consumption of pasteurized milk	2.2 ± 1.9	1.9 ± 1.6	0.07
Pork consumption (%)	641 (92.8)	61 (93.8)	0.72
Average days per week of pork consumption	1.5 ± 1.0	1.6 ± 0.9	0.36
Sausage consumption (%)	616 (89.1)	57 (87.7)	0.7
Average days per week of sausage consumption	1.6 ± 1.2	2 ± 1.1	0.78
Pets in the house (%)	381 (55.3)	50 (76.9)	< 0.05*
Average years with pets in the home	2.4 ± 4.3	3.6 ± 6.6	< 0.05*
Personal history of hepatitis (%)	13 (1.9)	0 (0)	0.24
Close contact with relatives with hepatitis (%)	19 (2.7)	1 (1.5)	0.53
Weight	78.3 ± 14.6	77.6 (12.9)	0.66
Size	1.69 ± 0.1	1.67 ± 0.1	0.74
Body mass index	27.5 ± 4.3	27.7 ± 3.7	0.6
Married (%)	440 (63.7)	46 (70.8)	0.21
Age	35.2 ± 11.0	38.9 ± 11.7	< 0.05*
>40 years	232 (33.6)	35 (53.8)	< 0.05*
Male (%)	433 (62.7)	38 (58.5)	0.46
work with animals (%)	28 (4.1)	0 (0)	0.08
Average years working with animals	7.7 ± 2.3	0
Personal history of transfusions (%)	8 (1.2)	1 (1.5)	0.76

Table: Table 1. Epidemiological and demographic characteristics of the total population studied and confirmed cases.

Disclosures:

Edgar D Copado-Villagrana indicated no relevant financial relationships.

Antonio Pizuorno Machado indicated no relevant financial relationships.

Edgar D Copado-Villagrana, MD, MPH¹, Antonio Pizuorno Machado, MD². E0487 - Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus in Healthy Blood Donors at the Blood Bank of the Regional General Hospital Number 45 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, ACG 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Charlotte, NC: American College of Gastroenterology.