Unveiling the Hepatitis E Seroprevalence: Insights from Dicle University Hospital in Southeastern Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a substantial concern for public health with varying seroprevalence rates globally. In this study, HEV seroprevalence in patients admitted to Dicle University Hospital, in the southeastern area of Turkey, was investigated. Methods: The test results for immunoglobulin M type HEV antibodies (Anti-HEV IgM) and immunoglobulin G type HEV antibodies (Anti-HEV IgG) of patients applied to Dicle University Hospital for various reasons between 2017 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The sera samples underwent testing to identify IgG and IgM antibodies using HEV IgG and HEV IgM test kits (Dia-Pro Diagnostic Bioprobes, Milan, Italy) on the Triturus micro-ELISA system (Grifols SA, Barcelona, Spain). The study included both adult and pediatric patients. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess the associations between gender and age groups (pediatric and adult) and HEV seropositivity utilizing the chi-square test at a significance threshold of p