A multi-cohort study of rat hepatitis E seroprevalence in Hong Kong using state-of-art serological tests

Dr Sridhar, Siddharth   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Professor Yuen Kwok Yung   (Co-Investigator)

Dr Yip Chik Yan   (Co-Investigator)

Professor To Kelvin Kai Wang   (Co-Investigator)

33

2021-10-01

876512

A multi-cohort study of rat hepatitis E seroprevalence in Hong Kong using state-of-art serological tests

epidemiology, hepatitis, Hepatitis E, public health, rodent, zoonosis

Others - Medicine, Dentistry and Health

20190362

Health and Medical Research Fund - Full Grant

2020

On-going

Rat hepatitis E virus (HEV-C) circulates in rats and is highly divergent from usual hepatitis E virus variants infecting humans (HEV-A). We have proved that HEV-C is a common cause of hepatitis in Hong Kong, accounting for 8% of human hepatitis E locally between 2017 - 2019. In many individuals, HEV-C infection is clinically silent and only manifests as biochemical hepatitis. Therefore, there could be silent HEV-C transmission in Hong Kong, which has profound implications for elderly and immunocompromised persons, who can develop severe HEV-C infection. Commercial hepatitis E antibody tests are incapable of detection and differentiation of HEV-C-specific antibodies. The objective of this study is to estimate community burden of HEV-C in Hong Kong using state-of-art serological tests. HYPOTHESIS TO BE TESTED We hypothesize that a) there is ongoing silent transmission of HEV-C in Hong Kong and b) testing of sera/plasma in HEV-A and HEV-C-specific enzymatic immunoassays (EIAs) can detect and differentiate whether patients have been exposed to HEV-A or HEV-C previously. DESIGN & SUBJECTS Multicohort serosurveillance study involving 9000 healthy individuals, inpatients and outpatients. INSTRUMENTS a) Parallel HEV-A/ HEV-C EIA and immunoblots developed in-house using immunogenic HEV-A and HEV-C peptides. b) HEV-C RT-PCR test. INTERVENTIONS None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES HEV-A and HEV-C seroprevalence and prevalence of HEV-C viremia in Hong Kong. DATA ANALYSIS & EXPECTED RESULTS Seroprevalence will be stratified by age-group, gender, risk factors (e.g. intravenous drug use/ animal contact), and area of residence. Ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic HEV-C infection will be measured.