Current seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus infection among kindergarten children and teachers in Taiwan.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
;
2000 Mar; 31(1): 25-8
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-35614
ABSTRACT
Taiwan was a hyperendemic area for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection before the late 1980s. The seroprevalence of HAV infection was higher than 90% with most HAV infection occurring during childhood. This study was to estimate the seroprevalence of HAV infection among preschool children in central Taiwan. A community-based survey was carried out in 54 kindergartens in 10 urban areas, 10 rural areas and 2 aboriginal areas randomly selected through stratified sampling. Serum samples of 2,549 healthy preschool children and 104 teachers in study kindergartens were screened for the HAV antibodies (anti-HAV) by means of a commercially available microparticle enzyme immunoassay (AxSYM HAVAB). Among aboriginal kindergarten children, more than 96% of them were anti-HAV seropositive due to a mass HAV vaccination program. In urban and rural areas, kindergarten children had a very low prevalence of anti-HAV (0.4%) in contrast to a high seroprevalence in their teachers (78%). There was no gender difference in seroprevalence of anti-HAV, while the anti-HAV seroprevalence was significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Crowdedness of living in urban areas might facilitate the person-to-person transmission of infectious agents.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Taiwan
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Hepatitis Antibodies
/
Logistic Models
/
Seroepidemiologic Studies
/
Child, Preschool
/
Rural Health
/
Urban Health
Type of study:
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
Year:
2000
Type:
Article
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