[Seroprevalence of viral hepatitis A in at the Amiens University Hospital].
OBJECTIVE
The epidemiology of viral hepatitis A has been evolved in the past few years, resulting in an increasing number of people without immunity to this virus. Health care workers are usually considered to be a group at risk of contamination by hepatitis A. A sero-epidemiologic study was performed in 525 members of the Pediatry, Gastroenterology, Internal medicine, Digestive radiology, kitchen and maintenance department staffs in the Amiens University Hospital. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of hepatitis A and to estimate the level of occupational hazard it represents in the hospital.


RESULTS
Age, low education level, country of origin in an endemic region and more than 2 siblings or children were significantly associated with the presence of anti-HAV antibodies. The prevalence of 50% was similar to that observed in other hospitals, but lower than that found in the general population. Seroprevalence was not higher in departments exposed to stools (Pediatry, Digestive endoscopy and laboratories) than in others. A higher rate of seroprevalence was observed in kitchen and maintenance staffs than in medical, laboratory and Radiology staffs, in Internal medicine than in the Gastroenterology Department, and in the laboratory than in Radiology Department. These differences disappeared after adjustment for extraprofessional parameters which appeared to be most important for hepatitis A epidemiology.


CONCLUSIONS
The hospital occupational hazard for hepatitis A virus did not seem higher than that observed in the general population.
Nguyen-Khac
E
E
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens.
Delcenserie
R
R
Capron
D
D
Duverlie
G
G
Liénard
J
J
Capron
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
Séroprévalence de l'hépatite virale A au CHU d'Amiens.