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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, December 2006, p. 1328-1332, Vol. 13, No. 12
1071-412X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00255-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Community-Based Seroepidemiological Survey of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Catalonia, Spain{triangledown}

Maria Buti,1 Àngela Domínguez,2,3* Pere Plans,2 Rossend Jardí,4 Mélani Schaper,4 Jordi Espuñes,2 Neus Cardeñosa,2 Francisco Rodríguez-Frías,4 Rafael Esteban,1 Antoni Plasència,2 and Luis Salleras3

Liver Service,1 Biochemistry Service, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital,4 Directorate of Public Health, Generalitat of Catalonia,2 Department of Public Health, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain3

Received 10 July 2006/ Returned for modification 5 September 2006/ Accepted 10 October 2006

The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in a population sample from Catalonia and to analyze the demographic and clinical variables associated with the presence of these antibodies. A total of 1,280 subjects between 15 and 74 years of age were selected randomly from urban and rural areas. Data for sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected by using a questionnaire. IgG antibodies to HEV were determined by an immunoenzymatic method. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for studied variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine which variables were independently associated with the prevalence of HEV infection. Anti-HEV antibodies were detected in 96 (7.3%) of the 1,280 samples analyzed. The prevalence of antibodies was greater among males (7.8%) than among women (7%) and increased with age for both sexes, from 3% among subjects 15 to 24 years of age to 12% among subjects ≥65 years of age. Bivariate analysis of the sociodemographic and clinical variables showed an association between the prevalence of hepatitis E virus infection and minor surgery (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.24 to 3.11), abdominal surgery (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.73), and, for women, being uniparous or multiparous (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.19 to 6.79). The multivariate analysis showed an association with minor surgery only (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.70). In conclusion, anti-HEV antibodies were detected in 7.3% of the Catalan population. The seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibodies increased with age and was associated with previous minor surgery.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Directorate of Public Health, Department of Health, Generalitat of Catalonia, Travessera de les Corts, 131-159, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Phone: 34 93 2272951. Fax: 34 93 2272921. E-mail: angela.dominguez{at}gencat.net.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 18 October 2006.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, December 2006, p. 1328-1332, Vol. 13, No. 12
1071-412X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00255-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Galiana, C., Fernandez-Barredo, S., Garcia, A., Gomez, M. T., Perez-Gracia, M. T. (2008). Occupational Exposure to Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Swine Workers. Am J Trop Med Hyg 78: 1012-1015 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Buti, M., Plans, P., Dominguez, A., Jardi, R., Frias, F. R., Esteban, R., Salleras, L., Plasencia, A. (2008). Prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Children in the Northeast of Spain. CVI 15: 732-734 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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