Acute hepatitis E virus infection in adults, Cayenne, French Guiana, 2015-2022.

OBJECTIVES

French Guiana (FG), a French overseas territory located in the Amazon region, is characterized by a high level of precariousness, which may be conducive to hepatitis E virus (HEV) transmission, but no recent relevant data exist.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study to determine the incidence of acute HEV infection diagnosed at Cayenne Hospital, FG between 2015 and 2022.

RESULTS

Among 934 tested individuals, 12 had positive anti-HEV IgM (positivity rate of 1.28 % CI95 [0.66-2.23]). RT-PCR was rarely performed and no results was positive. Median age was 41 years and half of the subjects were female. No fulminant hepatitis occurred. Neurological manifestations were reported in two patients. Acute forms of HEV infection were rarely diagnosed during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Earlier and more extensive use of RT-PCR could help to better understand the epidemiology of acute HEV infection. The modes of transmission and genotypes of HEV in FG remain uncertain.