title: Hepatitis a in Korea: epidemiological shift and call for vaccine strategy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of adult hepatitis A cases has progressively been increasing during the last several years in Korea. The aim of the present study was to describe the recent clinical features of hepatitis A and the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), and to discuss HAV vaccine strategy in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics of hepatitis A from 109 patients consecutively enrolled at a community hospital between 2003 and 2006 as well as cross-sectional study of seroprevalence of HAV from 307 patients of hospital population group during the same period were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most hepatitis A cases were young adults in their twenties or thirties, and the severity of the disease was related to the age of patients. The seroprevalence of HAV was 62%, which was dependent on the age of patients. HAV seroepidemiology in Korea is rapidly changing and a growing number of young adults are susceptible to HAV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical features and the epidemiological shift of HAV urge Korea, as well as other countries which are experiencing similar issues, to promote childhood vaccination and consider catch-up vaccination for adolescents and young adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Korea.
authors.forename: Donghun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Ae
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Youngsoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jin Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Na Young
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wonwoo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sook-Hyang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017957:Hepatitis A Virus, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines