title: Hepatitis A antibody in blood donors in North East Thames region: implications to prevention policies.
abstract: A total of 1786 blood donors were screened for the presence of anti-hepatitis A antibody (anti HAV). 64.5% of the donors were found to be positive. The prevalence of the antibody was found to be age-related, 55% at 18 years and 75% at 65 years. No relationship was noted between the presence of antibody, foreign travel or a specific destination. Assay of antibody levels in selected seropositive individuals gave a mean level of 5.0 IU/ml. The prevalence of infection in this selected population is important in the context of passive immunization with normal human immunoglobulin and for defining a policy of immunization with hepatitis A vaccines, which are currently undergoing clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: N.E. Thames Regional Blood Transfusion Centre, Brentwood, Essex.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014195:Travel; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies