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Epidemiology of hepatitis E virus in male blood donors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract

To our knowledge, only a few epidemiological reports on the prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies in Saudi blood donors have been published.

Men of several nationalities, donating blood at King Khalid National Guard Hospital (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) were selected (n = 593) for this study examining the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the local male donor population and testing the relationship of the antibody to HEV (anti-HEV) to donor characteristics using Odds Ratio (OR) and Chi-square statistic.

The prevalence of anti-HEV in the group examined was 16.9 per cent (100/593). The seroprevalence for Saudi donors was 14.8 per cent compared with 33.3 per cent for non-Saudis of Middle Eastern origin. Donors who were 40 yr and over had significantly higher seroprevalence than those donors who were 30 yr or younger (OR =2.5, p = 0.006). There was a significant association between anti-HEV and anti-HCV with donors who were positive to anti-HCV having about 5 times the risk of HEV than those who were anti-HCV negative (p = 0.02).

These findings demonstrate the high seroprevalence rate of anti-HEV among male blood donors in Saudi Arabia.

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Author notes

  1. T. H. Zawawi

    Present address: Department of Preventive and Health Promotion Services, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pathology, King Khalid National Guard Hospital, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia

    M. Abdelaal, E. al Sobhi, O. Jeje, C. Gilpin & A. Osoba

  2. Departments of Medicine, King Khalid National Guard Hospital, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia

    T. H. Zawawi, A. Kinsara & G. A. Oni

Authors
  1. M. Abdelaal
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  2. T. H. Zawawi
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  3. E. al Sobhi
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  4. O. Jeje
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  5. C. Gilpin
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  6. A. Kinsara
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  7. A. Osoba
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  8. G. A. Oni
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Abdelaal, M., Zawawi, T.H., al Sobhi, E. et al. Epidemiology of hepatitis E virus in male blood donors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I.J.M.S. 167, 94–96 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02937946

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