Prevention of hepatitis B in Italy: lessons from surveillance of type-specific acute viral hepatitis. SEIEVA Collaborating Group.
The relative contribution of various risk factors to the incidence of acute hepatitis B in Italy was estimated using a special surveillance system (SEIEVA) for type-specific acute viral hepatitis. At present 146 health departments (USLs) which contain 21% of the Italian population participate in SEIEVA out of the total of 650. Data on 2460 hepatitis B cases and 708 hepatitis A cases were compared. Hospitalization, surgical intervention, dental therapy, other percutaneous exposures, barber shop shaving, i.v. drug abuse and household contact with HBsAg carriers were associated with acute hepatitis B and a large number of cases were attributable to these risk factors. Because the control programme based on vaccination will not be effective in the short term at reducing hepatitis B incidence, other additional interventions are recommended.
Mele
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A
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Rome, Italy.
Stazi
M A
MA
Gill
O N
ON
Pasquini
P
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires