Until now, the camel was considered an ordinary farm animal with infectious diseases peculiar only to it. In recent years, new data have been obtained indicating the ability of camels to serve as a carrier of infections dangerous to humans. One of those zoonotic infections is hepatitis E.
It is known that hepatitis E viruses (HEV) have several genotypes (genetic variants) that infect different animal species and humans. The camel is a carrier of genotype VII (one-humped camel) and VIII (two-humped camel). Both camel species are bred in Kazakhstan, and researchers from Kazakhstan led by Dr Karamendin set the task of determining whether hepatitis E viruses or antibodies to them circulate in the local camel population. Previous human studies from 2018 conducted by other local scientists showed that 5.5% of tested individuals were positive for IgG anti-HEV antibodies.
Particular attention was paid to the western and southern regions of Kazakhstan, where there was an active import of camels from the Middle East, where hepatitis E viruses were often found in camels. Serological studies have shown the presence of antibodies to hepatitis E both in dromedary and Bactrian camels in Kazakhstan, but the viral RNA was not found in tested samples. Sixteen of the 249 samples obtained from camels (6.42%) were anti-HEV IgG-positive. The most significant number of camels seropositive to the hepatitis E virus was registered in the south of Kazakhstan. For the first time, antibodies to the hepatitis E virus were found in Bactrians, which have been little studied to date. In Kazakhstan, a much lower prevalence than in Asia and Africa was observed. However, in the Turkestan region, a prevalence of 27% was higher than that in Ethiopia (22.4%), which indicates the significance of the hepatitis E virus, especially for the epidemiology of southern Kazakhstan. 16% seroprevalence in juveniles was observed, which is higher than that found in adults.
Unfortunately, little attention is paid to hepatitis E in Kazakhstan and there are no data on screening for HEV patients with undiagnosed hepatitis. The potential for the spread of zoonotic infections from camels to humans in Kazakhstan was shown. In particular, 27% of camels in densely populated southern Kazakhstan being HEV-seropositive indicates the need for regular serological testing. The article aimed to draw attention to the problem in the healthcare system in regions with intensive camel breeding.
Read the full article (Pathogens 2022, 11, 1224). https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11111224
