EPIDEMIOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS OF FECALORAL HEPATITIS-E IN TAJIKISTAN

On the basis of the recults of the retrospective epidemiological analy sis of hepatitis A morbidity for many years in the Leninabad (now Hoje nd) region of Tajikistan the possibility of the epidemiological diagno sis of fecal-oral hepatitis non A, non B, also known as hepatitis E, w as confirmed. Analysis of the specific features of a sharp morbidity r ise in hepatitis A in this region in 1986-1987 made it possible to est ablish that this rise was caused by hepatitis E. This was testified by the explosive character of morbidity; the prevalence of persons aged 15-29 years, found to have antibodies to hepatitis A virus in 95% of c ases (among patients, these persons constituted. 67.5% of the total nu mber of hepatitis A patients and children of preschool age constituted only 8.8% of such patients); sharply pronounced irregularity in the d istribution of morbidity in individual settlements, depending on the s tate of water supply; a low number of the foci of infection in patient 's families; the unfavorable course of the disease in pregnant women w ith high mortality rate (19%) among them. Similar epidemiological feat ures were noted in hepatitis E outbreaks, occurring at the same period in the adjoining regions in Kirghizia and Uzbekistan, where the etiol ogy of the disease was established by excluding the markers of hepatit ides A and B. in most of the patients. Some data indicate that the cau ses of these outbreaks of hepatitis E were linked with the water route of the transmission of hepatitis E virus.