Vaccination against hepatitis A virus may not be required for schoolchildren in northern India: results of a seroepidemiological survey

Batra, Yogesh ; Bhatkal, Bharati ; Ojha, Bandana ; Kaur, Kuldeep ; Saraya, Anoop ; Panda, Subrat Kumar ; Acharya, Subrat Kumar (2002) Vaccination against hepatitis A virus may not be required for schoolchildren in northern India: results of a seroepidemiological survey Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 80 (9). pp. 728-731. ISSN 0042-9686

[img]
Preview
PDF - Publisher Version
62kB

Official URL: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/bulletin/2002/Vol80-No9/b...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0042-96862002000900009

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the current seroprevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus (HAV) in a sample of schoolchildren above 10 years of age and to determine the prevalence of HAV-induced hepatitis in adults at a tertiary care hospital in northern India between January 1992 and December 2000. Methods: Sera from 276 male and 224 female schoolchildren aged 10-17 years were tested for anti-HAV antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis who attended a liver clinic were tested for the serological markers of HAV, hepatitis B Virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus, and hepatitis E virus. Findings: Of the male and female children, 96.3% and 98.2%, respectively had anti-HAV antibodies in their sera. The prevalence of these antibodies in the age groups 10-12, 13- 14, and 15-17 years were 98.6%, 94.8%, and 98.3% respectively. The frequency of HAV- induced acute viral hepatitis (69/870, 8%) in adults did not show an increasing trend. Conclusion: Mass HAV vaccination may be unnecessary in northern India because the seroprevalence of protective antibodies against HAV in schoolchildren aged over 10 years remains above 95% and there has been no apparent increase in HAV-induced acute viral hepatitis in adults.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to World Health Organization.
Keywords:Hepatovirus/Immunology; Hepatitis Antibodies/Immunology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Hepatitis, Viral, Human/virology; Child; Adult; Seroepidemiologic Studies; India
ID Code:20
Deposited On:16 Sep 2010 08:30
Last Modified:16 May 2016 11:18

Repository Staff Only: item control page