Prevalence of hepatitis E in pediatrics and the population of Al-diwaniyah city, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, our understanding of HEV has evolved significantly. Previously thought to be prevalent in specific developing nations, HEV cases were primarily seen in travelers returning from highly endemic regions in Asia or Africa to high-income countries Aim of the study: This study aims to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis E (HEV)-induced diseases in both rural and urban areas of Al-Diwaniyah and assess its potential societal impact in the future. Patients and Methods: Health laboratory workers collected sixteen thousand one hundred forty-one samples over three consecutive years from Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital and Maternity and Children Teaching Hospital in Al-Diwaniyah. The results were obtained through the Department of Viruses at the Public Health Laboratory in Diwaniyah for 2016, 2017, and 2018 most patients had simple disease with no more complications. Results: The study found an overall HEV infection with a rate of 58% occurred in July 2018, with 13 cases, followed by March 2016 with 5 cases (representing 33%) and July 2017 with 9 cases (representing 9%) these overall percentage of data collected in our study. Conclusion: We can conclude that HEV can occur at any time, in any environment and in any gender, as long as there is environmental pollution with the virus and lack of awareness of hygiene. Additionally, a significant increase in infection rates was observed during the warmer seasons.