Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection among sewage workers in Georgia.
BACKGROUND
Wastewater (WW) workers could have opportunity for direct contact with raw sewage, which might contain hepatitis A virus (HAV).


METHODS
A serologic survey of WW workers and a comparison population of roads and drainage workers (RD). Factors potentially associated with anti-HAV positivity were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
Among the 365 WW workers, overall anti-HAV prevalence was 38%, similar to that (35%) of the 166 RD workers (P = 0.5). Prevalence varied by wastewater job type from 45% among the 164 field crew workers to 32% among the 201 treatment plant workers. In multivariate modeling, factors associated with anti-HAV positivity included age > or = 40 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.6-3.7), black compared to other races (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.5-3.8), birth outside the United States (OR = 7.5; 95% CI = 3.0-18.6), a high school education or less (OR 2.1; 95% CI = 1.4-3.2) and work on the field crew compared to RD work (OR 1.6; 95% CI = 1.1-2.4).


CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with no or a small increased risk of hepatitis A among WW workers, and do not provide a clear mandate for hepatitis A vaccination of these workers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43: 172-178, 2003.
Venczel
Linda
L
Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Brown
Stuart
S
Frumkin
Howard
H
Simmonds-Diaz
Jorge
J
Deitchman
Scott
S
Bell
Beth P
BP
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology*
D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D012722:Sewage