title: Prevalence rates of viral hepatitis infections in refugee Kurds from Iraq and Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since little is known about the burden of viral hepatitis in Kurds, the prevalence of infection with hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) was investigated in a sample of refugee Kurds from Iraq and Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out. Serological markers to hepatitis viruses were determined for 1,005 subjects from all age-groups of which 36.6% were from Turkey and 63.4% from Iraq.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall seroprevalence for anti-HAV was 94.4% and 14.8% for anti-HEV. A significantly higher prevalence for anti-HEV was found among Iraqis (17.5%) compared to Turkish immigrants (10.0%). The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and total anti-HBc (core) was 6.8% and 35.6% in Turkish Kurds and 2.2% and 12.7% in Iraqis, respectively. Only 10% of children aged up to 10 years and 2.8% of subjects aged 11-20 years had been vaccinated against HBV, the majority of them coming from Iraq. One subject was confirmed as positive for anti-HCV (0.1%) and HCV-RNA and analysis showed a 4c/4d genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey shows a high prevalence of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis in Kurds. HBV infection is moderately endemic, while the prevalence of HCV infection is low. There is a need for a universal immunization strategy for HBV in the Kurd population.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Internal Medicine and Public Health, Hygiene Section, University of Bari, Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare 11, I-70124 Bari, Italy. m.chironna@igiene.uniba.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chironna
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germinario
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lopalco
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carrozzini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbuti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007493:Iraq / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies