Nationwide Hospital-Based Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E Virus in Bangladesh.

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are transmitted by the fecal-oral route and are responsible for epidemic and sporadic outbreaks of acute hepatitis in low-income countries like Bangladesh.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the seroprevalence of acute hepatitis due to HAV and HEV infection in Bangladesh.

Methods: The nationwide food-borne illness surveillance started in 2014 at 10 different hospitals which covered seven divisions of Bangladesh. Blood samples were collected from suspected acute hepatitis cases and screened for the anti-HAV IgM and anti-HEV IgM using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Participants' socioeconomic status, clinical, sanitation and food history were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors associated with HAV and HEV infection.

Findings: A total of 998 patients were enrolled and tested for both HAV and HEV. Among these, 19% (191/998) were identified as HAV positive and 10% (103/998) were HEV positive. The median age was 12 years and 25 years for HAV and HEV positive patients, respectively. The prevalence of HAV was higher among the females (24.9%), whereas HEV was higher among males (11.2%). The highest occurrence of HAV was observed among children while HEV was most prevalent in the 15-60 years age group (12.4%).

Conclusion: Through our nationwide surveillance, it is evident that hepatitis A and hepatitis E infection is common in Bangladesh. These data will be useful towards planning preventive and control measures by strengthening the sanitation programs and vaccination strategies in Bangladesh.