title: [Hepatitis A of children. Seroepidemiological study among French urban population (author's transl)].
abstract: A prevalence survey of hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV) was conducted among 145 children living in the area of Tours (France). Thirty-four per cent of children's sera was found anti-HAV positive when tested by both immune adherence hemagglutination assay (IAHA) and specific radio-immunoassay (RIA). The prevalence of anti-HAV among infants less than one year and children between 1 to 5 years, was 35 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. From 6 years old, the prevalence of anti-HAV increased abruptly and reached 47 per cent in the 11 to 15 age group. Anti-HAV titers as measured by IAHA also increased according to age. In this study, the prevalence of anti-HAV was not related to sex, history of past surgery and/or blood transfusions. Only 12 per cent of children with anti-HAV positive test had history of jaundice. These results show that, in France, primary contact with hepatitis A virus (HAV) appear early in childhood, at school age, and that in children more than 80% of HAV infections remain asymptomatic.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005602:France; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007104:Immune Adherence Reaction; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
vernacular_title: Hépatite virale de type A chez l'enfant: étude séroépidémiologique dans une population urbaine française.