title: Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus antibody in primary school children in Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand.
abstract: Hepatitis A is a disease commonly found in Thai children. Since 1984, there have been very few reports on the age specific prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection in the northeastern part of Thailand, which has the largest population and is the poorest area of the country. We studied the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibody in 3 primary school children in different areas of Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand. Anti-HAV level was assayed by ELISA. Four hundred and forty-one children age 6-12 years were selected from one primary school in the urban area and two from rural areas. The highest prevalence was 22.6% at age 12 years and 0 at age 6 years. The seroprevalence was highest, 45%, in rural school children of the lowest socioeconomic status as compared to 10.8% and 2.6% in other urban school children. The overall prevalence was 12.7% and the age specific prevalence with 95% CI are presented. These data indicated a much lower seroepidemiological prevalence than previously reported and might be related to the level of socioeconomic and standard of public sanitation and living conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosuwan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sutra
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosalaraksa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D017957:Hepatitis A Virus, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies