A seroepidemiologic and it's 1 year follow up study on anti HAV IgG for college students living in dormitory

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In korea, Improvements of standards of hygiene, sanitation and water supply led to a significant reduction in the endemicity of HAV infection, so that hepatitis A outbreaks have shifted from children to adolescents and young adults. Hepatitis A infection becomes more symptomatic with increasing age. We studied Hepatitis A antibody prevalence in college students, who start living a active life in a community. Hepatitis A infection is primarily by the fecal oral route transmitted disease by either person to person contact or ingestion of contaminated food or water. So, We studied follow up prevalance of anti HAV IgG in college students who were living together in dormitory during 1 year. METHODS: The 668 serum samples were obtained from college students living in dormitory, Kangung National University during the period of May 2nd through 5th, 1999. For follow up study, the 158 serum samples were obtained from this group during the period of May, 2000. Anti HAV IgG was measured by HAVAB radioimmunoassy. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence rate of anti HAV IgG was 16.3% in 1999. According to age, the anti HAV IgG positive rate was increase with age, 10.5% in 18 years, 12.4% in 19 years, 15.9% in 20 years, 22.5% in 21 years, 27.9% in 22 26 years. The seroprevalence of anti HAV IgG was increase with year of university entrance, but not different with sex, department of college and number of family. The anti HAV IgG positive rate in urban group(14.7%) of native place was lower than in rural group(21.5%). Seroconversion rate of negative anti HAV IgG was only 1.3% during I year. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus was a dramtic drop among adolescent and young adulthood in korea. Natural acquisition of HAV antibody rarely occurs during 1 year in living condition such as dormitory.