Acute Hepatitis Related to Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3f Infection in Brazil

Abstract

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important causative agent of acute hepatitis (AH). Despite reports of human infection in Brazil, the investigation is not routinely conducted, even in cases of elevated liver enzymes. This study evaluated two groups: group 1-patients with acute hepatitis A (n = 44); group 2-patients with nonA-C AH (n = 47). They were tested by enzyme immunoassay for anti-HEV IgM/IgG and real-time PCR for HEV RNA detection. The positive sample for HEV RNA was submitted for sequencing. The seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgM and IgG in group 1 was 4% (2/44) and 14.5% (7/44), respectively. Viral RNA was not detected in any sample. In group 2, the anti-HEV IgM positivity was 4.3% (2/47), and IgG 14.9% (7/47). RNA was detectable in one case, which presented a viral load of 222.4 IU/μL and positive anti-HEV IgM/IgG. In the phylogenetic analysis, the genotype identified was HEV-3f. These results indicate that HEV infection should be considered a possible diagnosis in cases of non-A-C AH. The patient identified with acute hepatitis E had recently traveled to the Northeast region of Brazil (Garanhuns city in Pernambuco state), where there are reports of high HEV seroprevalence among pigs. The close phylogenetic relationship observed between the sequence characterized in this study and strains isolated from pigs in nearby cities where the patient went suggested a possible zoonotic transmission in this region. This study highlights the importance of expanding studies and improving surveillance to understand better and manage HEV infections nationwide.

Keywords: Brazil; hepatitis E virus; molecular characterization.