Bharti Malhotra1, Farah Deba2, Pratibha Sharma1, Khushbu Trivedi1, Jitendra Tiwari3, Aradhana Chouhan1, Ruchi Singh4, Deepa Meena4, H N Verma5. 1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. 2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SMS Medical College; Department of Microbiology, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. 3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur; Government Medical College, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. 4. State Microbiologist IDSP, Directorate of Medical and Health, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. 5. Department of Microbiology, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Abstract
Purpose: Suddenly, many cases of fever with jaundice were reported from Sodala area at Jaipur. This outbreak of acute hepatitis at Jaipur Rajasthan was investigated for aetiology and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 106 symptomatic patients of acute hepatitis and 39 pregnant females (with or without symptoms of hepatitis) during an outbreak at Jaipur. The samples were tested for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) by serological and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). Sequencing of nested PCR product was done for phylogenetic analysis. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs antigen), anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV), anti-Leptospira and anti-scrub typhus IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done for patients negative for HEV and HAV. Results: Among 106 symptomatic patients, HEV IgM was positive in 84/106 (79.2%) patients and HEV RNA in 72/106 (67.9%) patients. Among pregnant women, 6/39 (15.4%) were HEV IgM positive and 5/39 (12.8%) for HEV RNA. One (2.5%) pregnant woman died due to hepatitis. All the isolates belonged to genotype 1A of HEV. All HAV, HEV-negative samples were negative for HBs antigen, HCV antibody, Leptospira and scrub typhus IgM ELISA. Conclusion: The outbreak was due to HEV genotype 1A. The municipal water supply was contaminated and sanitary conditions and waste disposal were poor in the area. Boiling of drinking water, fixing the water supply pipes and frequent hand washing helped in controlling the outbreak.
Purpose: Suddenly, many cases of fever with jaundice were reported from Sodala area at Jaipur. This outbreak of acute hepatitis at Jaipur Rajasthan was investigated for aetiology and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 106 symptomatic patients of acute hepatitis and 39 pregnant females (with or without symptoms of hepatitis) during an outbreak at Jaipur. The samples were tested for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) by serological and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). Sequencing of nested PCR product was done for phylogenetic analysis. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs antigen), anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV), anti-Leptospira and anti-scrub typhus IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done for patients negative for HEV and HAV. Results: Among 106 symptomatic patients, HEV IgM was positive in 84/106 (79.2%) patients and HEV RNA in 72/106 (67.9%) patients. Among pregnant women, 6/39 (15.4%) were HEV IgM positive and 5/39 (12.8%) for HEV RNA. One (2.5%) pregnant woman died due to hepatitis. All the isolates belonged to genotype 1A of HEV. All HAV, HEV-negative samples were negative for HBs antigen, HCV antibody, Leptospira and scrub typhus IgM ELISA. Conclusion: The outbreak was due to HEV genotype 1A. The municipal water supply was contaminated and sanitary conditions and waste disposal were poor in the area. Boiling of drinking water, fixing the water supply pipes and frequent hand washing helped in controlling the outbreak.
Entities:
Keywords:
HEV; outbreak; viral hepatitis; water borne