International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 12, Issue 4 , Pages 387-390, July 2008

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in blood donors in Khuzestan Province, Southwest Iran

  • Mohammad Ali Assarehzadegan

      Affiliations

    • Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahwaz Joundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Current address: Immunology Research Center, Bou-Ali Research Institute, Bou-Ali Square, Mashhad, Iran. Tel.: +98 511 6094818; fax: +98 511 6094818.
    • ,
  • Ghodratollah Shakerinejad

      Affiliations

    • Jahad Daneshgahi Medical Center, Ahwaz, Iran
    • ,
  • Akram Amini

      Affiliations

    • Jahad Daneshgahi Medical Center, Ahwaz, Iran
    • ,
  • S.A. Rahim Rezaee

      Affiliations

    • Microbiology Department, Virology Division, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Received 24 April 2007; received in revised form 4 August 2007; accepted 30 September 2007. published online 06 December 2007.

Corresponding Editor: William Cameron, Ottawa, Canada

Summary 

Objective

To determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among volunteer blood donors in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Khuzestan is a war stricken area in the southwest of Iran, which shares a land, river, and sea border with Iraq. This region has suffered the heaviest public health system damage of all the Iranian provinces during a 25-year period of war and conflict.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 urban volunteer blood donors of the regional blood banks, from May to December 2005. Serum samples from healthy blood donors were tested for IgG anti-HEV antibody using a specific enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) kit.

Results

The prevalence of HEV infection was found to be 11.5% (46/400). All patients were negative for anti-HIV, anti-HBV, and anti-HCV antibodies. The data indicate that 14.6% (38/260) of HEV positive subjects were male, compared to 5.7% (8/140) of females; this difference is statistically significant (risk ratio=2.6, p<0.008).

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate the high prevalence rate of anti-HEV among blood donors, particularly males.

Keywords: Seroprevalence, Hepatitis E virus, Blood donor, Khuzestan, Iran

 

PII: S1201-9712(07)00202-0

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2007.09.015

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 12, Issue 4 , Pages 387-390, July 2008

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