HEPATITIS-E IN A NONENDEMIC REGION - ANTI BODIES TO HEPATITIS-E VIRUSIN DIFFERENT POPULATION GROUPS

Increase in the number of seropositive subjects in the population of E uropean and North-American regions not endemic for hepatitis E stimula ted research in this field. This study was aimed at investigating the incidence of IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV-IgG) in sub jects with different liver diseases and in groups ar increased risk of infection in a nonendemic region. In patients with different diseases of the liver the incidence of anti-HEV-IgG; varied from 5.1 to 14.3%, in medical workers and former blood donors not allowed to donate bloo d because of in creased transaminase levels in the blood 5.1 and 5.3%, respectively. In the reference group this level was appreciably lower - only 1.8%, this being rather close to the incidence of anti-HEV-IgG in the population of a nonendemic region (2.1%). There were no seropo sitive women in the group of healthy pregnant women in a non endemic r egion, whereas in an endemic region (in Kyrghyzstan) 15% of pregnant w omen were seropositive for anti-HEV.