ASSESSMENT OF COLLECTIVE IMMUNITY TO HEPATITIS E VIRUS IN THE SAINT PETERSBURG AND LENINGRAD REGION



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Abstract

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents a significant medical and social problem characterized by high prevalence and serious clinical consequences, particularly among vulnerable population groups including pregnant women and individuals with immunodeficiency conditions. The existing insufficient awareness of the disease's clinical picture combined with limited testing for hepatitis E markers leads to a substantial proportion of undiagnosed infection cases. In the Russian Federation, sporadic outbreaks of HEV infection are observed; however, the complete epidemiological situation remains poorly understood due to objective difficulties in diagnosis and limited availability of specialized laboratory tests.

The aim of our study was to assess the true prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in the population of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region depending on infectious status and socio-demographic characteristics.

Methodology: A population-based screening was conducted involving 6,773 volunteers aged from 1 year to over 70 years old. Specific IgG class antibodies against HEV were detected using an enzyme immunoassay method with the test system “Vectogep-E IgG”.

Results: The results demonstrated that anti-HEV antibodies were present in 5.1% of examined individuals (343 out of 6,773), which corresponds to a prevalence rate of 5,064.2 per 100 thousand population. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and seropositivity rates, with the highest frequency of antibody detection noted in the older age group (over 70 years). Among those who denied any history of the disease, the antibody detection rate was 5.0%; while among those uncertain about their past health status, this figure reached 8.1%. Significantly higher frequencies of anti-HEV antibody detection were found among individuals with prior surgical interventions or blood transfusions compared to volunteers without such histories. Patients with previously experienced hepatitis A had anti-HEV antibodies at a rate of 6.1%, suggesting possible co-infection by these viral agents.

To achieve effective prevention of HEV infections, it is necessary to develop a strategy consisting of three main stages: promoting non-specific preventive measures and increasing public awareness regarding transmission routes and methods of hepatitis E prevention; studying the feasibility and potential benefits of introducing targeted vaccination programs against HEV; conducting further research into population immunity levels to HEV across different regions of Russia to clarify the epidemiological situation and identify potential foci of infection spread.

About the authors

Anna Yuryevna Popova

Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Russia, Moscow

Email: depart@gsen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4315-5307

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head 

Россия, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.

Alesia Yuryevna Gorbunova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: alesja.gorbynova@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8200-8094

laboratory research assistant at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology

Россия

Yulia Vladimirovna Ostankova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: shenna1@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2270-8897

PhD (Biology), Head of the Laboratory of Immunology and Virology HIV, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology

Россия, 197101, St. Petersburg, st. Mira, 14, St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Egorova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: egorova72@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7589-0234

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Deputy Director for Innovations 

Россия

Diana Eduardovna Reingardt

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: dianavalutite008@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0931-102X

clinical laboratory diagnostics doctor at the Department of Diagnostics of HIV Infection and AIDS-Associated Diseases Infection 

Россия

Anastasia Romanovna Ivanova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: shenna1@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4794-7475

laboratory assistant at the Department of Diagnostics of HIV Infection and AIDS-Associated Diseases Infection 

Россия

Alexandr Nikolaevich Schemelev

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: tvildorm@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3139-3674

PhD (Biology), Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Immunology and Virology HIV Infection, 

Россия

Irina V. Drozd

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: ckdl@pasteurorg.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1966-7860

PhD (Biology), Head

Россия, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Mira str., 14

Oyuna B. Zhimbaeva

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: damaoyuna@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0807-9588

Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Diagnostics of the Medical Center

Россия, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Mira str., 14

Ekatherine Mikhailovna Danilova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: pasteur@pasteurorg.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2565-6052

Head of the Outpatient Department of the Medical Center

Россия

Angelica M. Milichkina

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: Milichkina@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9421-7109

PhD (Medicine), Head Physician of the Medical Cente

Россия, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Mira str., 14

Elena Borisovna Ezhlova

Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Russia, Moscow

Email: depart@gsen.ru

Ph.D. (Medicine), deputy head. 

Россия

Albina Andreevna Melnikova

Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Russia, Moscow

Email: depart@gsen.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0279-9974

Ph.D. (Medicine), Head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department 

Россия

Natalia Semenovna Bashketova

Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: uprav@78rospotrebnadzor.ru

Head of the Department 

Россия

Lidiya V. Buts

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Email: butz@pasteurorg.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2631-0256

Ph.D. (Medicine), 1st category specialist 

Россия

Areg A. Totolian

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia, Saint Petersburg

Author for correspondence.
Email: pasteur@pasteurorg.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4571-8799

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, PhD, MD (Medicine), Professor, Head at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Director

Россия, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Mira str., 14

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Copyright (c) Popova A.Y., Gorbunova A.Y., Ostankova Y.V., Egorova S.A., Reingardt D.E., Ivanova A.R., Schemelev A.N., Drozd I.V., Zhimbaeva O.B., Danilova E.M., Milichkina A.M., Ezhlova E.B., Melnikova A.A., Bashketova N.S., Buts L.V., Totolian A.A.

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