Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Infection among Pregnant Women in Sokoto State, North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Hepatitis E Virus is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. HEV infection has a mortality rate of about 30% among infected pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with HEV infection among pregnant women attending Antenatal Clinic at Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. In this study, 182 serum samples from pregnant women of productive age range between 18-45 years old were screened for the presence of HEV specific IgG antibody using a commercially available ELISA kits obtained from EUROIMMUN Medical Laboratory Diagnostics AG. Socio-demographic information was obtained from the subjects using interviewer-administered Questionnaire. Data were entered into SPSS software version 20.0 and analyzed using Chi-square test. An overall prevalence of 18/182(9.9%) HEV infection was obtained. Based on blood transfusion history, prevalence rates of 10.7% and 4.3% were recorded among pregnant women without blood transfusion and those with blood transfusion history respectively. With regards to water source, prevalence rates of 37.5%, 15.4%, 10.7% and 5.4% were recorded among pregnant women that used river water, well water, tap water and borehole respectively. Prevalence rates of the infection among pregnant women in contact with sheep, goat, cow and chicken were 24.3%, 14.7%, 7.1% and 5.3% respectively. There was significant association between HEV infection with water source (p = 0.027) and animal contact (p = 0.017). However, there was no significant association between HEV infection and blood transfusion. Our findings call for further studies to determine other domestic animals that may be reservoirs of HEV infection.