Acute Sporadic Hepatitis E in Children Living in Cairo, Egypt. (Reannouncementwith New Availability Information)

摘要

Seventy-three pediatric patients with acute hepatitis and 19 control patientswithout liver disease living in Cairo, Egypt, were evaluated with a newly developed Western blot assay for IgM antibody to hepatitis E virus (IgM anti-HEV). The mean age of acute hepatitis patients was 6.4 years (range, 1-13 years); 56% were male. Among the 73 acute cases, hepatitis A was diagnosed in 30 (41%), possible acute hepatitis B in three (4%), hepatitis E in nine (12%), and by exclusion, non-A, non-B hepatitis in 29 (40%). Two additional acute cases were positive for both IgM anti-HAV and IgM anti-HEV. None of the 19 control subjects had IgM anti-HEV. Parenteral risk factors were associated with cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis but were not associated with acute hepatitis E. Contact with a family member with jaundice was associated with acute hepatitis A. viral hepatitis; acute hepatitis; non-A, non-B hepatitis; hepatitis E.