The prevalence of viral hepatitis (HAV, HBV and HCV) in the Christchurch community.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) in adults randomly selected from the Christchurch community.


METHODS
A list of names was randomly generated from the Christchurch electoral roll and subjects were sequentially contacted and invited to participate. A blood sample was taken and tested for hepatitis A (IgG anti-HAV antibody), hepatitis B (HBsAg and anti-HBc) and HCV (anti-HCV antibody) using Abbott Elisa kits. Subjects positive for HBsAg were also tested for HBeAg/HBV DNA. Those positive for anti-HBc were tested for anti-HBs. HCV antibody positive samples were tested for HCV RNA using PCR.


RESULTS
1064 subjects (30.3% of those invited) participated in the study. The prevalence of HAV antibodies was 27.9%, and increased with age. The overall prevalence of HBV markers was 42/1064 (4.2%), and of these 0.3% were HBsAg positive and 3.9% were considered immune. No gender or ethnic differences in these proportions were observed. The seroprevalence of HVC antibody was 3/1064 (0.3%), two of whom were also PCR positive for HCV RNA.


CONCLUSIONS
In the Christchurch community there was a high prevalence of antibodies to HAV, which increased with age. The prevalence of HBsAg and antibody to HCV were both low at 0.3%.
Chapman
B A
BA
Christchurch Hospital.
Burt
M J
MJ
Frampton
C M
CM
Collett
J A
JA
Yeo
K H
KH
Wilkinson
I D
ID
Cook
H B
HB
Barclay
M J
MJ
Ross
A G
AG
George
P M
PM
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014505:Urban Population
D000914:Antibodies, Viral