title: Hepatitis A virus infection in the United States: serologic results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in the general U.S. population, sera from participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted in 1988-1994 were tested for antibody to HAV (anti-HAV). Among 21,260 participants aged > or = 6 years tested, the overall prevalence of infection was 31.3%, and increased markedly with age. The age-adjusted prevalence was significantly higher among foreign- compared to U.S.-born participants, and was highest among Mexican-Americans and lowest among non-Hispanic whites. Among U.S.-born children, only Mexican-American ethnicity and income below the poverty level were associated with HAV infection in a multivariate model. During this period before hepatitis A vaccination, age, ethnicity and birthplace were the most important determinants of HAV infection in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, MS G-37, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Beth P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kruszon-Moran
authors.forename: Craig N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Geraldine M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: McQuillan
authors.forename: Harold S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Margolis
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People