Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses in Aden, Yemen

The burden of hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis E (HEV) infection is unknown in Aden, Yemen. This survey describes the prevalence of antibodies against HAV and HEV among individuals attending primary health care facilities in Aden, Yemen. Five hundred and thirty eight participants, stratified by age and district population size, were enrolled and screened for anti-HAV and 356 for anti-HEV antibodies. The age-standardized seroprevalence of antibodies was 86.6% (95% Cl 83.7-89.5) for anti-HAV and 10.7% (95% CI 7.5-13.9) for anti-HEV. The prevalence of anti-HAV and anti-HEV ranged from 53% and 0% in infants to 100% and 15.3% in participants >18 years old, respectively (P<0.001). Viral hepatitis remains a major public health problem in Aden with trends of hyperendemicity for both infections. Priority should be given to improve water quality, sanitation coverage, and food hygiene and increase public health awareness concerning the risk of contracting infection. (C) 2010 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.