Age-specific prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A in children and adolescents from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1978 and 1995. Relationship of prevalence to environmental factors
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
93(1): 1-5, Jan.-Feb. 1998. tab, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-201984
RESUMO
The age-specific prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) was determined in two different population groups with low socio-economic status from Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, whose serum were collected 17 years apart (Population 1, 1978; Population 2, 1995). In Population 2, analysis of the anti-HAV prevalence was also carried out with respect to environmental factors. Population 1 was composed of 520 stored sera collected from the umbilical cord of term neonates and children aged 1 month to 6 years. In population 2, 720 serum samples were collected from children and adolescents with ages ranging from 1 to 23 years. The overall prevalence rate of anti-HAV in Population 1 and 2 was 65.6 per cent and 32.1 per cent, respectively. In Population 1, the anti-HAV prevalence reached 88 per cent at the age of 3, while in Population 2, it increased from 4.5 per cent in children under the age of 3 to 66 per cent in the group of adolescents over the age of 14. The low exposure to HAV infection in younger children from Population 2 could be a result of improved environmental hygiene and sanitation, as demonstrated by the presence of piped water, waste and sewage disposal systems in most houses from this population group. These findings indicate a possible change in the prevalence of hepatitis A in Rio de Janeiro.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Hepatitis Antibodies
/
Age Distribution
/
Hepatitis A
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Humans
/
Infant, Newborn
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
1998
Type:
Article
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