Exposure to school children as a risk factor in a community outbreak of hepatitis A in young adults: a case control study.
To investigate risk factors during a community outbreak of hepatitis A we carried out a case- control study of 35 cases and 49 matched controls using an interviewer-administered questionnaire on clinical history, travel, household details including domestic toilet facilities, infectious contacts, and food history. Of 99 cases notified in the city during the outbreak year, 50 (51%) were young adults age 15-34 years. Hepatitis A infection was independently associated with household contact with a case (P=0.0005), and sharing a household with children in primary school (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.2-9.5, P=0.008) with risk increasing with number of primary-school pupils in the household (chi(2) for linear trend 6.47, P=0.01). We concluded that in a population with a low prevalence of hepatitis A, adults who live in the same household as primary-school-age children are at increased risk of acquiring the infection during community outbreaks.
Roberts
R J
RJ
National Public Health Service, Preswylfa, Mold, Flintshire, UK. richard.roberts@nphs.wales.nhs.uk
Palmer
S R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology