Seroprevalence of hev antibodies in a sample of pregnant women in the city of Messina

Background. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is widespread in developing countries and the disease is also increasing in the developed ones. This infection in pregnancy can cause spontaneous abortion and neonatal death in 56% of newborns. Study Design. The study was conducted on a sample of 352 pregnant women, 326 Italian and 26 foreign, in order to confirm the presence of HEV in our territory, to analyze wrong habits of the population and to suggest preventive actions against the risk to contract the infection during pregnancy. Methods. We asked all women under study to fill an anonymous questionnaire immediately before taking a venous blood samples to determine the presence of anti-HEV antibodies. The questionnaire contained a set of questions to gain information about lifestyles and risk factors to contract HEV. Results. The questionnaire revealed that a portion of the tested women have risk behaviours, as consumption of raw or undercooked food, eating unwashed food and traveling to endemic areas. The percentage of women positive for HEV antibodies was 3.4%, in agreement with national data; all the women were Italian. Conclusions. This study confirms the circulation of HEV in the city of Messina. For this reason, it is highly recommended to disseminate hygienic and appropriate behaviours and feeding habits in order to prevent the risk to contract the infection.