Viral hepatitis E in pregnant women in Belarus: clinical examples and molecular genetic characterization of the virus

Objective. To conduct a clinical and molecular genetic study of two cases of acute hepatitis E in pregnant women from Belarus.Materials and methods. A total of 227 pregnant women with clinical symptoms of liver damage were included in the study. Blood serum samples were used for detection of antibodies to hepatitis E virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, virus nucleic acid was detected from fecal samples by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide sequence was determined on an automated sequencer using the Sanger method. Nucleotide sequences were analyzed, genotyped and evolutionary distances calculated using MEGA X software.Results. Out of 227 sera tested, immunoglobulins of class G to hepatitis E virus were detected in 15, which is 6.61%. M immunoglobulins were also detected in the blood of six pregnant women, which is 2.6%. Two clinically evident cases of acute hepatitis E were identified. One of the two patients ended her pregnancy with antenatal fetal death. Virus nucleic acid was isolated from another woman diagnosed with hepatitis E, who had an episode of nutritional contact with raw minced pork. The virus RNA sequence isolated from this patient’s body is clustered into a common phylogenetic branch with the sequence obtained from the body of a patient from Belarus with a history of kidney transplantation and sequences isolated from the body of a domestic pig in the Republic of Belarus.Conclusion. Hepatitis E virus poses a significant threat to pregnant women. A set of preventive measures against hepatitis E in pregnant women has been proposed.