Risk of hepatitis A virus infection among sewage workers in Israel.
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.
Levin
M
M
Epidemiology Unit, Occupational Health and Rehabilitation Institute, Raanana, Israel.
Froom
P
P
Trajber
I
I
Lahat
N
N
Askenazi
S
S
Lerman
Y
Y
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
D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012722:Sewage