anti hepatitis e virus seropositivity in a group of blood donors

type e hepatitis is caused by an unclassified virus producing acute self-limited hepatitis in different parts of the world. in order to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis e virus seropositivity in tehran blood donors, a cross– sectional study was performed by the enzyme immunoassay method from 2003 to 2004 in a group of 90 blood donors. we noticed that 7 cases (7.8%) were anti-hev ab positive. this figure correlates with the prevalence ratio of endemic parts. there was no association between seropositivity and sex. the commonest age group was 40-49 years. we conclude that iran can be considered as an endemic area for type e hepatitis (prevalence>5%), and type e hepatitis is more common in iran than israel and turkey, but less common than saudi arabia, iraq and pakistan; therefore, it should be regarded in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis.