Assessment of collective immunity to hepatitis E virus in the Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region

Le résumé fourni par la source

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents a significant medical and social problem characterized by high prevalence and serious clinical consequences, particularly among vulnerable population groups including pregnant women and individuals with immunodeficiency conditions. The existing insufficient awareness of the disease’s clinical picture combined with limited testing for hepatitis E markers leads to a substantial proportion of undiagnosed infection cases. In the Russian Federation, sporadic outbreaks of HEV infection are observed; however, the complete epidemiological situation remains poorly understood due to objective difficulties in diagnosis and limited availability of specialized laboratory tests. The aim of our study was to assess the true prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in the population of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region depending on infectious status and socio-demographic characteristics. Methodology. A population-based screening was conducted involving 6773 volunteers aged from 1 year to over 70 years old. Specific IgG class antibodies against HEV were detected using an enzyme immunoassay method with the test system “Vectogep-E IgG”. Results. The results demonstrated that anti-HEV antibodies were present in 5.1% of examined individuals (343 out of 6773), which corresponds to a prevalence rate of 5064.2 per 100 thousand population. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and seropositivity rates, with the highest frequency of antibody detection noted in the older age group (over 70 years). Among those who denied any history of the disease, the antibody detection rate was 5.0%; while among those uncertain about their past health status, this figure reached 8.1%. Significantly higher frequencies of anti-HEV antibody detection were found among individuals with prior surgical interventions or blood transfusions compared to volunteers without such histories. Patients with previously experienced hepatitis A had anti-HEV antibodies at a rate of 6.1%, suggesting possible co-infection by these viral agents. To achieve effective prevention of HEV infections, it is necessary to develop a strategy consisting of three main stages: promoting non-specific preventive measures and increasing public awareness regarding transmission routes and methods of hepatitis E prevention; studying the feasibility and potential benefits of introducing targeted vaccination programs against HEV; conducting further research into population immunity levels to HEV across different regions of Russia to clarify the epidemiological situation and identify potential foci of infection spread.

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