Increased occurrence of hepatitis A with cyclic outbreaks among drug addicts in a Swedish community.
To determine the prevalence of antibodies to Hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) among drug addicts, sera collected in a Swedish city during a ten-year period from 234 drug addicts with acute hepatitis B were tested for anti-HAV. The results were compared with the normal population, where only 3.8% of those born after 1950 were anti-HAV-positive. In individuals born between 1941 and 1965, 8.2% in the normal population and 30.2% of the drug addicts were anti-HAV-positive (p less than 0.001). The level of immunity to hepatitis A among drug addicts ranged from 7.7% to 60% during the ten-year period. Low levels of immunity were seen in the years preceeding outbreaks of hepatitis A among drug addicts. These outbreaks occurred in a cyclic pattern. Higher levels of immunity were seen after each outbreak.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D013548:Sweden
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies