Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) and Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Among Blood Donor Candidates in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Hepatitis A (HAV) and E (HEV) are clinically indistinguishable diseases. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of both viruses among 469 blood donor candidates at HEMOBA, Salvador, Brazil. The seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG was determined by chemiluminescence (Abbott Diagnostics, Chicago, IL, USA) and that of anti-HEV (IgG/IgM) was determined by ELISA (Wantai-Biopharm, Beijing, China). The ineligibility rate was 16.8% (79/469), mostly temporary. There were no statistically significant demographic differences between ineligible and eligible donor candidates. The participants were predominantly male (52.7%), with the skin color Brown/Black (83.2%), and had completed secondary education or started/completed higher education (89.6%). The seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG was 53.5% (193/361; 95%CI: 48.2-58.7%) among unvaccinated participants; the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 7.0% (33/469; 95%CI: 4.9-9.7%), and no case of anti-HEV IgM was found. In univariate analysis, HAV was associated with work with livestock and eating fresh fish; HEV was related to low incomes and eating game meat. However, only aging and being born in the interior of the state retained statistical significance in the final model. In conclusion, despite the availability of the HAV vaccine, this study revealed a higher burden of HAV when compared to HEV. Future studies must prioritize risk factor investigations of both viruses in non-metropolitan and rural areas.