Journal article
Endemic Hepatitis E in two Nordic Countries
Virology, Division of Veterinary Diagnostics and Research, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark1
Division of Veterinary Diagnostics and Research, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark2
National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark3
Section for Veterinary Diagnostics, Division of Veterinary Diagnostics and Research, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark4
Antibodies against hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) were found in 248 Swedish and Danish patients between 1993 and 2007. Most patients were symptomatic and tested for anti-HEV due to travel abroad. Among patients with known country of infection, most were infected in Asia, mainly on the Indian subcontinent.
However, 29 patients were infected in Europe, nine of these had HEV IgM and/or HEV RNA in serum. In sera from 65 of 141 tested patients HEV RNA could be detected, and 63 strains could be typed by limited sequencing within ORF2. HEV RNA was found in sera from 71% of the patients with HEV IgM and IgG and in 18% of the patients with only detectable HEV IgG.
It was also found up to three weeks after the onset of disease in 67% of the patients with known date of onset. Patients infected in Europe were infected by genotype 3, and were older than those infected by genotype 1 (mean age 55.3 vs 30 years, p
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2009 |
| Pages: | 20-28 |
| ISSN: | 15607917 and 1025496x |
| Types: | Journal article |
| DOI: | 10.2807/ese.14.19.19211-en |
| ORCIDs: | Larsen, Lars Erik and Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane |
Adolescent Adult Aged Animals Antibodies, Viral Base Sequence Child Child, Preschool Denmark Disease Outbreaks Female Hepatitis E Hepatitis E virus Humans Immunoglobulin G Infant Infant, Newborn Male Middle Aged Phylogeny Polymerase Chain Reaction RNA, Viral Sweden Swine Swine Diseases Young Adult
