Current Status of Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalance, İstanbul, Türkiye

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 2, 73 - 78, 29.08.2025

Mehmet Karabey , Sema Alaçam , Nuran Karabulut

https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1665717

Abstract

Background
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is one of the most common causes of acute viral hepatitis, and it is estimated to lead to approximately 44,000 deaths annually from 20 million HEV infections worldwide. This study aims to examine the seroprevalence of hepatitis E in our region and to provide an updated contribution to the limited hepatitis E seroprevalence data available in our country.
Methods
Cases tested for Anti-HEV IgM and Anti-HEV IgG antibodies between January 2021 and October 2023 were analyzed. Hepatitis E-specific IgM and IgG antibodies were analyzed using the EUROIMMUN Anti-HEV IgM and IgG(EUROIMMUN AG, Germany) commercial kits with the Triturus (GRIFOLS,Spain) device.
Results
The study included 65 patients who were tested for HEV-IgM and HEV-IgG, with a mean age of 29.55±19.56years. Of the 65 patients, 37 were female, 21 were children, and 2 were of foreign nationality. No reactivity was detected in the HEV-IgM tests conducted on the 65 patients. HEV-IgG reactivity was detected in 4 patients, with a seropositivity rate of 6%. All of the HEV seropositive cases were adults, including three males and one female. The HEV seroprevalence was higher in males(10.7%) compared to females(2.7%), with a statistically significant difference between the two groups(p<0.001).
Conclusion
The hepatitis E seroprevalence in our region was found to be 6%, which is below the national average in Turkey, and no active HEV infection was detected. Determining seroprevalence is valuable for preventing outbreaks, developing protective policies such as sanitation and hygiene, and especially for establishing accurate vaccination programs.

Keywords

Hepatitis E virus , hepatitis E vaccine , seroprevalence , Istanbul

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