Background Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) have enteric modes of transmission and are common causes of acute hepatitis in low- and middle-income countries. HEV is also... Show moreBackground Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) have enteric modes of transmission and are common causes of acute hepatitis in low- and middle-income countries. HEV is also characterised as a zoonotic infection and is prevalent in high-income countries. Data on HAV and HEV prevalence in Suriname, a middle-income country in South America, are scarce. Methods Serum samples of 944 and 949 randomly selected patients attending the Emergency Department at the Academic Hospital of Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, were analysed for anti-HAV antibodies (anti-HAV) and anti-HEV antibodies (anti-HEV), respectively. Determinants of anti-HAV and anti-HEV positive serology were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results Anti-HAV prevalence was 58.3% (95% CI 55.4 to 61.4%) and higher prevalence was independently associated with belonging to the Tribal or Indigenous population and older age. Anti-HEV prevalence was 3.7% (95% CI 2.6 to 5.0%) and higher prevalence was associated with Tribal and Creole ethnicity and older age. Conclusions In Suriname, exposure to HAV is consistent with a very low endemic country and exposure to HEV was rare. Both viruses were more prevalent in specific ethnic groups. As anti-HAVantibodies were less frequently found in younger individuals, they could be susceptible to potential HAV outbreaks and might require HAV vaccination. Show less
Background: Countries worldwide are focusing to mitigate the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by employing public health measures. Laboratories have a key role in the control of SARS- CoV-2 transmission... Show moreBackground: Countries worldwide are focusing to mitigate the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by employing public health measures. Laboratories have a key role in the control of SARS- CoV-2 transmission. Serology for SARS-CoV-2 is of critical importance to support diagnosis, define the epidemiological framework and evaluate immune responses to natural infection and vaccine administration. Aim: The aim of this study was the assessment of the actual capability among laboratories involved in sero-epidemiological studies on COVID-19 in EU/EEA and EU enlargement countries to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies through an external quality assessment ( EQA) based on proficiency testing. Methods: The EQA panels were composed of eight different, pooled human serum samples (all collected in 2020 before the vaccine roll-out), addressing sensitivity and specificity of detection. The panels and two EU human SARS- CoV-2 serological standards were sent to 56 laboratories in 30 countries. Results: The overall performance of laboratories within this EQA indicated a robust ability to establish past SARS-CoV-2 infections via detection of anti-SARS- CoV-2 antibodies, with 53 of 55 laboratories using at least one test that characterised all EQA samples correctly. IgM-specific test methods provided most incorrect sample characterisations (24/208), while test methods detecting total immunoglobulin (0/119) and neutralising antibodies (2/230) performed the best. The semiquantitative assays used by the EQA participants also showed a robust performance in relation to the standards. Conclusion: Our EQA showed a high capability across European reference laboratories for reliable diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses. Serological tests that provide robust and reliable detection of anti SARS- CoV-2 antibodies are available. Show less
