Hepatitis E seroprevalence and associated factors in rural settlers in Central Brazil

<div><p>Abstract INTRODUCTION: Prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and associated factors were investigated in rural settlements in Central Brazil. METHODS: A total of 464 settlers were interviewed, and serum samples were tested for anti-HEV IgG/IgM. Positive samples were tested for HEV RNA. RESULTS: Sixteen participants (3.4%; 95% CI 2.0-5.7) were positive for anti-HEV IgG. None was positive for anti-HEV IgM. HEV RNA was not detected. Dwelling in a rural settlement for >5 years was associated with HEV seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed the absence of acute infection and a low prevalence of previous exposure to HEV.</p></div

HIV-1 infection among crack cocaine users in a region far from the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in Brazil: Prevalence and molecular characteristics

<div><p>Brazil has the largest cocaine market in South America, and crack cocaine use is closely associated with HIV-1 infection. This study investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and HIV-1 subtypes, including recombinant forms and mutations associated with drug resistance, among crack cocaine users in Central-West Brazil. We recruited 600 crack cocaine users admitted to a referral hospital in Goiânia for psychiatric disorders. The participants were interviewed; blood samples were collected for anti-HIV-1/2 serological screening. HIV-1 <i>pol</i> gene sequences (entire protease [PR] and partial reverse transcriptase [RT]) were obtained from plasma RNA. HIV-1 subtypes, recombinant viruses, transmitted drug resistance (TDR), and secondary drug resistance mutations were investigated. The median participant age was 30 years (range, 18–68 years); most were male, single, unemployed, and of mixed races. Among them, 2.8% (17/600) were HIV-1 positive: 2.2% of men (11/507) and 6.5% of women (6/93). The main predictors of HIV-1 seropositivity were a sexual partner with HIV infection, irregular condom use, and previous homelessness. HIV-1 <i>pol</i> sequences (12/17) indicated the predominance of subtype B (n = 7), followed by recombinant forms F^PR/B^RT (n = 1) and B^PR/F^RT (n = 2) and subtypes F1 (n = 1) and C (n = 1). TDR prevalence was 58.3% (7/12). Isolates from two participants showed mutations associated with resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) only (M41L, T125C, T125F, M184V), while an isolate from one patient who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2008 had a mutation associated with resistance to non-NRTI (G190S). Five isolates had secondary mutations to protease inhibitors (K20M, L10V, L33I, A71T, A71V). In conclusion, the findings of HIV-1 circulation, TDR to NRTI, and secondary mutations to protease inhibitors in ART-naïve crack cocaine users support the importance of monitoring this population in regions far from the epicenter of the HIV epidemic.</p></div

Demographic and social characteristics and sexual and drug consumption behaviors among 600 in-treatment crack cocaine users.

<p>Demographic and social characteristics and sexual and drug consumption behaviors among 600 in-treatment crack cocaine users.</p

Phylogenetic analyses of HIV-1 in protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) fragments among crack cocaine users in Goiânia.

<p>The isolates characterized in the study are given in bold, and the clusters are marked with the symbol ♦. Using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis software version 5.05, trees were constructed by the neighbor-joining method with Kimura’s two-parameter distance correction model (bootstrap values >70% were considered significant).</p

Multivariate analysis of factors associated with HIV infection among 600 in-treatment crack cocaine Users.

<p>Multivariate analysis of factors associated with HIV infection among 600 in-treatment crack cocaine Users.</p