Seroprevalence and risk factors of hepatitis E virus infection among children in China.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an important public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries, causing waterborne outbreaks as well as sporadic autochthonous hepatitis. China is usually considered to be a HEV-endemic area, but the prevalence of HEV infection in children in mainland China remains unclear. Between May 2013 and July 2014, a cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with the acquisition of HEV infection by children in China. A total of 1,500 healthy children (range 1-18; 942 and 558 from urban and rural areas, respectively) were recruited to examine for the presence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics from the examined children were obtained. The overall seroprevalence of HEV in the examined children was 14.93%. Of these, 174 (11.60%) were positive for only anti-HEV IgG antibodies, 50 (3.33%) were IgM positive and IgG negative, and 44 (2.93%) were positive for both anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies. Age, type of residence area, contact with pigs, and source of drinking water were found to be associated with HEV infection. These findings demonstrated the high prevalence of HEV and the considerable potential for the transmission of HEV infection in children in China.

Clinical characteristics of children with omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection in Changchun, China from march to april 2022: A retrospective study.

Background: Recently, there was an outbreak in China of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, the corresponding clinical characteristics of Chinese children with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were then reviewed and summarized retrospectively. Methods: From March to April 2022, a total of 134 children infected with the Omicron variant were included in the study. Data such as sex, age, clinical symptoms, laboratory examinations, and imaging features were collected for further analyses. Results: Half of the children were male and the median age was 5.67 years. The most SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was identified in mild (122, 91%), and the most three frequent symptoms were as cough (108, 80.6%), fever (75, 56%), and sore throat (38, 28.4%). Among age groups, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of symptoms, and no statistical difference was found in different clinical types among sex or age groups. Laboratory examinations revealed that white blood cells, neutrophils, and hemoglobin decreased; and monocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased. Further analyses showed that neutrophils, hemoglobin, CRP, and AST exhibited significant differences among age groups. Radiological abnormalities were found in nine cases, with small patchy high-density shadows. Of the 76 cured cases discharged from the hospital, the median hospital stay was 13 days (mean, 12 days). Conclusions: In China, most children with Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection have mild presentation. The findings of this study may help other districts improve the management of children with Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection in China.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxocara infection among children in Shandong and Jilin provinces, China.

This cross-sectional study was aimed to investigate the Toxocara serology in children in Shandong and Jilin provinces, China using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall Toxocara seroprevalence among the study population (n=1458) was 19.3%, sick children (26.4%) had significantly higher seroprevalence than clinically healthy children (14.4%) (P<0.05), and the highest Toxocara seroprevalence was found in children suffering from chronic cough (40.6%), followed by recurrent abdominal pain (40.0%), recurrent headache (38.1%), slight fever (36.2%), and recurrent vomiting (31.6%). Place of residence, education level, type of school, keeping dogs at home, contact with dogs and cats and exposure with soil were found to be associated with Toxocara infection. Our findings show that children infection with Toxocara is common in Shandong and Jilin provinces, eastern and northeastern China, indicating an immediate need for implementing strategies and measures to prevent and control Toxocara infection in children in China.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and associated risk factors among children in Shandong and Jilin provinces, China.

OBJECTIVE: Infection by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is generally prevalent in animals and humans worldwide. However, little is known about T. gondii infection among children in China. Thus, the present study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and estimate associated risk factors among children in eastern China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 1500 children from three cities (Changchun, Qingdao, Weihai) was conducted between May 2013 and July 2014 to estimate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with acquiring T. gondii infection in children in China. Demographic and blood samples were collected, and anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The mean age of the 1500 children participating in the study was 9.03 years (range 1-18). The overall seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection was 15.13%, of which 13.13% were positive for only anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies, 3.13% were positive for both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies and 2.00% were IgM positive and IgG negative. Moreover, raising cats at home (OR=1.94, 95% CI=1.288-2.912, P=0.002) and hand washing habits (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.230-0.635, P<0.001) were estimated to be risk and protective factors associated with Toxoplasma seroprevalence, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed for the first time that children's infection with T. gondii is common in eastern China. The present data indicate a need to implement methods of prevention and control measures against Toxoplasma infection in China.