Hepatitis A among schoolchildren in a US-Mexico border community.
OBJECTIVE
A cross-sectional study investigated the association of hepatitis A seropositivity with environmental and personal risk factors among children in a United States-Mexico border community.


METHODS
Hepatitis A serological markers and a questionnaire identifying risk factors were evaluated for 523 primary school children.


RESULTS
Of the children studied, 16.9% tested positive for total antihepatitis A virus. Risk factors included being in the first grade, low maternal educational attainment, living in Mexico for more than 6 months, household crowding, and inadequate excreta disposal systems.


CONCLUSIONS
To decrease enteric disease, improvements in excreta disposal infrastructures and educational programs are needed. Hepatitis A vaccine should be administered before school age.
Redlinger
T
T
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso 79968, USA.
O'Rourke
K
K
VanDerslice
J
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003441:Crowding; D004522:Educational Status; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology*; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012499:Sanitation; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies