title: Thirty years of experience with infectious hepatitis prevention in the Israel Defence Forces.
abstract: Infectious hepatitis is endemic to Israel. Large outbreaks of infectious hepatitis were common in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) before 1970, at which time post-exposure prophylaxis with immune serum globulin was introduced. It caused a decrease in the incidence of infectious hepatitis from 10-14/1,000 to 3/1,000. A further reduction in incidence was achieved after 1978 when a policy of pre-exposure prophylaxis was established. The number of yearly outbreaks and cases per outbreak also declined as a result of this policy. Worldwide studies have shown that a policy of pre-exposure prophylaxis and/or post-exposure prophylaxis with immune serum globulin is effective in reducing the incidence of infectious hepatitis. The experience of the IDF is that a combination of both pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis is more efficacious. This policy should be worthwhile in other areas where infectious hepatitis is endemic.
authors.affiliation: Medical Corps, Israel Defence Forces.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Heering
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shohat
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008889:Military Personnel