Odoom Alex, Boamah Isaac, Sagoe Kwamena Wc, Kotey Fleischer Cn, Donkor Eric S
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.
Environ Health Insights. 2024 Nov 21;18:11786302241299370. doi: 10.1177/11786302241299370. eCollection 2024.
Foodborne infections are caused by a wide spectrum of microbial pathogens, and they pose a significant global health threat, resulting in millions of cases and thousands of fatalities annually. Among these pathogens, human viruses, including Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV), play a significant role in foodborne viral outbreaks, especially in Africa. This systematic review determined the prevalence of these viruses in livestock and produce in Africa.
A systematic search strategy was implemented following the PRISMA guidelines. Databases such as African Journal Online, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were searched from their inception until November 30, 2023. Descriptive statistics and a proportional meta-analysis utilising a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval were employed in the data analysis. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (ROB2) was utilised to evaluate the potential for bias in each study.
The search identified 27 articles that met the inclusion criteria, among which seven focused on HAV, comprising a total of 309 samples, whereas 20 studies focused on HEV, comprising a total of 4238 samples. Egypt had the highest number of studies, followed by Cameroon and Nigeria. The meta-analysis revealed an overall prevalence of 33.8% (95% CI: 17.0-50.6) for HAV in ducks and shellfish and 22.0% (95% CI: 12.1-31.8) for HEV in various livestock. Genotype 3 was identified as the predominant genotype, for both HAV and HEV.
This review revealed a high prevalence of HAV and HEV in livestock populations in Africa, shedding light on the potential risks associated with zoonotic and/or food-related infections. There is a need for continued surveillance and monitoring of these viruses in both animals and food products to mitigate the risk of foodborne outbreaks and protect human health.
食源性感染由多种微生物病原体引起，对全球健康构成重大威胁，每年导致数百万病例和数千人死亡。在这些病原体中，人类病毒，包括甲型肝炎病毒（HAV）和戊型肝炎病毒（HEV），在食源性病毒暴发中起重要作用，尤其是在非洲。本系统评价确定了这些病毒在非洲牲畜和农产品中的流行情况。
按照PRISMA指南实施系统检索策略。检索了非洲期刊在线、科学网、Scopus和PubMed等数据库，检索时间从各数据库创建至2023年11月30日。数据分析采用描述性统计和使用95%置信区间的随机效应模型进行的比例荟萃分析。使用Cochrane偏倚风险工具（ROB2）评估每项研究的偏倚可能性。
检索到27篇符合纳入标准的文章，其中7篇聚焦于HAV，共309个样本，而20项研究聚焦于HEV，共4238个样本。埃及的研究数量最多，其次是喀麦隆和尼日利亚。荟萃分析显示，鸭和贝类中HAV的总体流行率为33.8%（95%CI：17.0 - 50.6），各种牲畜中HEV的总体流行率为22.0%（95%CI：12.1 - 31.8）。3型基因型被确定为HAV和HEV的主要基因型。
本评价揭示了非洲牲畜群体中HAV和HEV的高流行率，揭示了与动物源性和/或食物相关感染相关的潜在风险。需要持续监测动物和食品中的这些病毒，以降低食源性暴发的风险并保护人类健康。
