title: Risk of hepatitis A virus infection among sewage workers in Israel.
abstract: Sewage workers are exposed to a wide range of chemicals and biological agents, including the hepatitis A virus. Inasmuch as Israel is an endemic area for hepatitis A, it is unclear if sewage workers are at increased risk for hepatitis A or which factors contribute to such risk. The authors compared seropositivity of hepatitis A in 100 sewage workers with that in 100 blue-collar worker controls. Hepatitis A seropositivity was highly prevalent, but nonsignificant, in both sewage workers and controls (82% and 91%, respectively). In sewage workers, the major risk for serological positivity was age (odds ratio = 4.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.6, 12.4 for every 10 y). The factors associated negatively with seropositivity were years of education and years of seniority. The authors concluded that exposure to sewage is not a risk factor for hepatitis A infection in Israel, and, therefore, sewage workers do not require special attention in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Occupational Health and Rehabilitation Institute, Raanana, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Froom
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Trajber
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lahat
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Askenazi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012722:Sewage
chemical_list: D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012722:Sewage