Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the elderly living in nursing homes.
BACKGROUND
: Communal living situations such as nursing homes create a risk for the spread of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and HCV in the elderly living in 2 nursing homes in Ankara, Turkey.


METHODS
: A total of 227 persons (mean age, 76.11 +/- 8.55 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. All individuals were investigated seroprevalence for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and anti-HCV IgG.


RESULTS
: Positive seroprevalence was 11.9% for HBsAg, 48.0% for anti-HBs IgG, 25.1% for anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and 2.5% for anti-HCV IgG. Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity was 12.4% in males and 11.5% in females (P > 0.05); and the seroprevalence was 10.4% for those living in nursing homes for 1 year or less and 13.0% for those living in nursing homes for more than 1 year (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
: The fact that nearly half of those living in nursing homes had not encountered hepatitis B infection or had not received hepatitis B vaccination indicates the need for administering hepatitis B vaccines in this group.
Department of Public Health, daggerDepartment of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Beşevler, Gazi University Medical Faculty; and Department of Public Health, Baskent University Medical Faculty, Beşevler, Ankara, Turkey.
Isl
I
Maral
Funda
F
Dogruman-Al
Coskun
C
Bakar
Mustafa Necmi
MN
Ilhan
Meltem
M
Yalinay-Cirak
Mehmet Ali
MA
Bumin
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014421:Turkey