Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in an adult urban population from Burundi

The prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis E virus (HEV) was measured in a group of 129 adults from Bujumbura, Barundi, using an ELISA. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 14%, much lower than that of hepatitis A virus (HAV) (97.7%). In addition to the lability of antibodies to HEV, this difference might be explained by the extensive availability of good-quality drinking water in the city. The presence of serologic markers of HBV (77.6%), HCV (27.1%), and human immunodeficieney virus (30.2%) was not associated with that of anti-HEV.