Continuous decline of hepatitis E virus seroprevalence in southern Germany despite increasing notifications, 2003–2015

Figures & data

Fig. 1 Trend of anti-HEV IgG prevalence in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015.a Overall prevalences. The chi square test with continuity correction was used to evaluate differences between the anti-HEV IgG prevalences of successive years. b Anti-HEV IgG prevalence and 95% CI divided by gender. c Anti-HEV IgG prevalence and 95% CI divided into age groups. Yrs, years

Anti-HEV IgG prevalence, overall, and by age and gender (percentages and absolute numbers of positives)

	2003	2006	2009	2012	2015
Overall	32.8% (197/600)	22.5% (135/600)	22.3% (134/600)	17.7% (106/600)	17.8% (107/600)
Gender
Female	34.3% (103/300)	18.7% (56/300)	18.3% (55/300)	16.7% (50/300)	16.0% (48/300)
Male	31.3% (94/300)	26.3% (79/300)	26.3% (79/300)	18.7% (56/300)	19.7% (59/300)
Age group
20–29 years	23.0% (69/300)	19.0% (57/300)	17.0% (51/300)	13.3% (40/300)	15.7% (47/300)
30–39 years	42.7% (128/300)	26.0% (78/300)	27.7% (83/300)	22.0% (66/300)	20.0% (60/300)

Fig. 2 Gender and age group analysis. Anti-HEV IgG sorted by (a) gender and (b) age groups. Differences in prevalence were evaluated using the chi square test with continuity correction. Yrs, years

Fig. 3 Distribution of anti-HEV IgG antibody concentrations by year of specimen collection.

Data are shown as box-and-whisker diagrams. The box represents the interquartile range (IQR) between the 25th (Q1) and 75th (Q3) percentiles and includes a median line. Lower and upper whiskers represent Q1−1.5 × IQR and Q3 + 1.5 × IQR, respectively. Open data points show extreme outliers. WU, World Health Organization units

Fig. 4 Linear regression model with 95% CI (dashed lines) for time-related development of median values of anti-HEV IgG antibody concentration.

WU, World Health Organization units

Fig. 5 Hepatitis E notifications in Germany. (a) Absolute numbers and (b) percentage in three selected age cohorts, 2003–2015. Percentages are calculated in relation to all notified cases per year. Yrs years