Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to improve the epidemiological data on HEV infection
in the human population in Romania. The analysis targeted hospitalized subjects with
acute hepatitis (n = 94) of unknown etiology from the Infectious Diseases Regional
Hospital in Iasi. Moreover, patients without liver disease (n = 40) from a different county
hospital located in Eastern Romania were included. The presence of HEV infection
and first characterization of human HEV strains was determined using serological and
molecular assays. The apparent HEV seroprevalence varied between 29.16% (95%
CI, 16.31–42.03) and 32.5% (95% CI, 17.98–47.02) according to patient grouping.
Molecular analysis enhanced the detection of two HEV isolates, that clustered in subtype
HEV-3c, the most commonly identified subtype in Europe. Identification of acute hepatitis
E cases, together with the first detection and molecular characterization of human HEV
in Romania represent the originality attributes of the present study.
