Yoon Youngsil, Jeong Hye Sook, Yun Haesun, Lee Hyeokjin, Hwang Yoo-Sung, Park Bohyun, Lee Chae Jin, Lee Sangwon, Hyeon Ji-Yeon
Division of Vaccine Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong-eup, CheongJu, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-951, Republic of Korea.
BMC Infect Dis. 2014 Sep 24;14:517. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-517.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging pathogen associated with endemic and acute viral hepatitis. In this study, we investigate the HEV seroprevalence and putative risk factors by a nationwide cross-sectional study in the Republic of Korea.
The prevalence of anti-HEV antibody was investigated in 2,450 serum samples collected in fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In addition, epidemiological information on possible risk factors including gender, age, education, occupation, and residence location for exposure to HEV was obtained.
The frequency of anti-EIA reactive sample was 5.9% (144/2450). The individuals in groups with male, older age, low education level and living in rural or coastal regions had high seroprevalence estimates (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, seroprevalence was significantly higher among individuals with self-identified skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (31.3%, P < 0.001).
This study provides valuable data that could be used to investigate associations of HEV seroprevalence and putative risk factors by a nationwide cross-sectional study. The high HEV seroprevalence of skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers and individuals lived in coastal and rural area indicated that zoonotic transmission is an important risk factor for HEV infection in the republic of Korea. Further studies that include detailed and continuous nationwide surveys are required to identify unrecognized risk factors and to monitor the HEV infection prevalence.
戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）是一种与地方性和急性病毒性肝炎相关的新兴病原体。在本研究中，我们通过在大韩民国进行的一项全国性横断面研究，调查了HEV的血清流行率及假定的危险因素。
在第四次韩国国家健康与营养检查调查中收集的2450份血清样本中，调查抗HEV抗体的流行情况。此外，还获取了包括性别、年龄、教育程度、职业和居住地点等可能的危险因素的流行病学信息，这些因素与接触HEV有关。
抗酶免疫分析反应性样本的频率为5.9%（144/2450）。男性、年龄较大、教育程度较低以及居住在农村或沿海地区的人群血清流行率估计较高（P≤0.001）。此外，自我认定为熟练农业、林业和渔业工人的个体血清流行率显著更高（31.3%，P<0.001）。
本研究提供了有价值的数据，可用于通过全国性横断面研究调查HEV血清流行率与假定危险因素之间的关联。熟练农业、林业和渔业工人以及居住在沿海和农村地区的个体中HEV血清流行率较高，表明人畜共患病传播是大韩民国HEV感染的一个重要危险因素。需要进一步开展包括详细和持续的全国性调查的研究，以识别未被认识的危险因素并监测HEV感染流行情况。
