Endemic circulation of HEV could be favoured by precarious living conditions including lack of hygiene or health care facilities and limited access to drinking water as is the case in developing countries in Asia and Africa. In the Niger Republic, the first documented HEV outbreak was recorded in 2017 around displaced persons camps in the Diffa region across the Lake Chad basin, resulting in 736 (38.4%) confirmed cases and 38 (1.9%) deaths. Since then, sporadic cases were annually reported despite the lack of specific surveillance.
Dr. Martin FAYE, Dr Adamou LAGARE and colleagues from the Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES) in Niger and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, described the epidemiological features of the circulation of HEV in Niger over 7 years and the genetic diversity of the identified HEV strains. Overall, from 2017 to 2023, a total of 2820 HEV suspected cases were sampled, out of which 899 (31.87%) were confirmed positive by either qRT-PCR and/or IgM ELISA. Out of the 21 characterized isolates, they identified 15 sequences belonging to the genotype 1e and 6 to the genotype 2b. The newly characterized sequences from Niger clustered with those circulating in neighbouring countries, suggesting a cross-border virus circulation. The co-circulation of HEV genotypes 1 and 2 is an indicator of the probable virus transmission through contaminated water sources.
These data exhibit a crucial need to improve the preparedness and implement an active and integrated community-based surveillance including not only field testing for rapid detection and characterization of HEV, but also actions for disease containment, strengthening of hygiene measures and community-based sensitization for behavioural changes.
Read the full article (J Clin Virol. 2025 Jan 8:176:105761). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2025.105761
