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Prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A and E viruses among rural populations of the Chaco region, south‐eastern Bolivia
Author(s) -
Bartoloni Alessandro,
Bartalesi Filippo,
Roselli Mimmo,
Mantella Antonella,
Arce Cleto,
Paradisi Franco,
Hall Andrew J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1999.00457.x
Subject(s) - seroprevalence , hepatitis e virus , hepatitis e , population , rural area , hepatitis a , geography , veterinary medicine , prevalence , demography , medicine , serology , antibody , hepatitis , virology , environmental health , biology , immunology , biochemistry , sociology , genotype , gene , pathology
Summary We conducted a cross‐sectional study to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses (HAV and HEV) in the population of two rural areas, Camiri and Villa Montes, of the Chaco region, south‐eastern Bolivia. HAV antibodies were detected in 461 (94.1%) of 490 serum samples tested, not differing significantly between sexes and study areas. The HAV seropositivity rate (64.7%) was high even in the youngest age group (1–5 years). The prevalence of HEV was 7.3%, with no significant differences between sexes. The prevalence of HEV antibodies in the population of the Camiri area (10.4%) was significantly higher than in the Villa Montes area (4.4.%), possibly due to the better quality of drinking water in the Villa Montes area. In the population ≤ 30 years of age, the HEV seropositivity rate (4.4%) was significantly lower than in the ≥ 31 year‐old group. This is consistent with findings in other countries. This is the first report of the prevalence of HEV infection in Bolivia.