The role of young children in a community-wide outbreak of hepatitis A.
An Hasidic Jewish community has experienced recurrent hepatitis A outbreaks since 1980. To assess risk factors for illness during a 1985-6 outbreak, the authors reviewed case records and randomly selected 93 households for an interview and serologic survey. In the outbreak, 117 cases of hepatitis A were identified, with the highest attack rate (4.2%) among 3-5 year olds. Among the survey households, the presence of 3-5 year olds was the only risk factor that increased a household's risk of hepatitis A (indeterminant relative risk, P = 0.02). Furthermore, case households from the outbreak were more likely to have 3-5 years olds than were control households from the survey (odds ratio = 16.4, P < 0.001). Children 3-5 years old were more likely to have hepatitis A and may have been the most frequent transmitters of hepatitis A in this community. Hepatitis A vaccination of 3-5 year olds can protect this age group and might prevent future outbreaks in the community.
Smith
P F
PF
Division of Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, USA.
Grabau
J C
JC
Werzberger
A
A
Gunn
R A
RA
Rolka
H R
HR
Kondracki
S F
SF
Gallo
R J
RJ
Morse
D L
DL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors