Seroprevalence of Anti-Hepatitis A Antibody Among 1 - 15 Year Old Children in Kashan-Iran

Abstract

BackgroundWorldwide, hepatitis A is a common infection during childhood especially in developing countries. It can cause severe complications in adults and patients with underlying diseases.ObjectivesThis study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis A in 1 - 15 year-old children of Kashan.Patients and MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed on 666 one to fifteen year-old children from health-care centers in Kashan city during 2012. Total antibodies against hepatitis A were measured in sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsTotally, 3.9% of children were seropositive. Mean number of family members was 3.92 ± 0.89. There was no difference in seroprevalence of hepatitis A relative to sex, family size, mean age and age groups.ConclusionsIn this city, a great proportion of children are susceptible to hepatitis A and it’s complications at an older age. This decrease in seropositivity may be caused by elevated hygien level. According to our results hepatitis A vaccination is recommended at early childhood such as that of other regions where low prevalence of hepatitis A infection is found.

Comparison of the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis A in 10 to 18-Year-Old Adolescents of Sixteen Iranian Provinces: The CASPIAN-III Study

“…HAV seroprevalence was 86.76% in 17-year-old adolescents in the Golestan province (13), 61.6% in individuals under 20 who were referred to a hospital in Tehran (14), 79.3% in 15 to 20-year-old persons referred for pre-marriage consultations in the Fars province (9), 64.7% in 15 to 24-year-old adolescents in Mashhad in the Razavi Khorasan province (15), and 79.4% in 16 to 29-year-olds in Shiraz, the provincial city of the Fars province (8). In contrast, HAV seroprevalence was 38.9% in under 25-year-olds in Sari (center of Mazanderan province) (16), 10% in 6-20-year-olds in a population- based study in Isfahan province (17), and 3.9% in children under 15 in Kashan (in the Isfahan province) (18), which are much lower than in other reports.…”

Hepatitis A virus in the Middle East and North Africa region: a new challenge

“…Variable seroprevalence rates were reported in different regions of Iran; seroprevalence rates of 64% and 68% were reported in the Northern area among young adults of 15–25 and 18–30 years, respectively , as compared to <10% anti‐HAV antibodies rates among children of 0–7 years old. It is notable that as low as 3.9% seroprevalence rates were reported in central Iran among children and adolescents (1–15 years) as compared to 79% in Southern Iran .…”

Vaccination Against Hepatitis A for Hemophilic Patients: Is It Necessary?

“…Poor hygiene, poor water sanitation, and family crowding, which increase the chance of close contact with the virus, are several reasons for the increased prevalence of the infection. Although in a cross-sectional study conducted among 1- to 15-year-old children, no difference in the seroprevalence of hepatitis A related to age groups, mean age, sex, and family size was observed ( 21 ), in most multivariate analyses, region, age group, marriage, referral date, and level of parental education were associated with hepatitis A virus seropositivity ( 17 , 22 - 29 ).…”

“…In another study, the overall seroprevalence of HAV in the general population of three provinces of Iran (Tehran, Golestan and Hormozgan) was 86%, with no variation between the two genders ( 22 ). The prevalence in younger subjects and in urban populations was under 70% ( 22 ), while in another province of Iran (Kashan) only 3.9% of children between 1 and 15 years old were reported to be seropositive ( 21 ).…”