The increasing prominence of household transmission of hepatitis A in an area undergoing a shift in endemicity.
In the rapidly developing city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, rates of hepatitis A have fallen, but no data on prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) exist with which to interpret incidence data. In the autumn of 2001, we determined the anti-HAV prevalence among household and school contacts of hepatitis A cases. For contacts aged 0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, 15-19 years, or 20-30 years, immune prevalences were 9, 12, 33, 33 and 77% respectively, among immediate-family household contacts and 15, 28, 49, 52 and 77% respectively, among community contacts. Child community contacts were more likely to be immune than their immediate-family household counterparts (odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3-3.2). Almaty is experiencing an epidemiological shift in hepatitis A incidence. Feasible and effective prevention strategies using hepatitis A vaccine should be explored.
Victor
J C
JC
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. jvictor@umich.edu
Surdina
T Y
TY
Suleimeova
S Z
SZ
Favorov
M O
MO
Bell
B P
BP
Monto
A S
AS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007623:Kazakhstan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014611:Vaccination
D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines