title: Prevalence of HBV and HCV among outpatients in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria, 2010-2011.
abstract: Viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis B and C, are diseases with worldwide distribution that present a significant public health problem. Seroprevalence studies allow assessment of the extent of the disease burden, the identification of populations at risk and the monitoring trends over time. A multi-center seroprevalence study, carried out in Bulgaria (covering the five largest cities - Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven, and Stara Zagora) in 1999-2000 estimated a crude seroprevalence rate of 3.9% for HBsAg and 1.3% for anti-HCV. A decade later, comparable rates were observed in a study including 865 outpatients consulting a clinical laboratory in Plovdiv, the second largest administrative region in Bulgaria. The crude seroprevalence rate measured for hepatitis B (HBsAg) was 3.9%. The HBsAg prevalence rate in individuals ≤19 years of age (targeted by vaccination) was significantly lower compared to the rate in adults ≥20 years of age -1% versus 4.8%. The lack of dynamics in the overall level of HBsAg carriers is likely related to the excessively low hepatitis B vaccine coverage in individuals, born before the introduction of the universal vaccination of newborns in August 1991. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 0.7% of the subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Medicine of Disastrous Events, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Ani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kevorkyan
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Teoharov
authors.forename: Tinne
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lernout
authors.forename: Nedyalka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petrova
authors.forename: Ralitsa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raycheva
authors.forename: Ivailo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Damme
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojouharova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
keywords: hepatitis B; hepatitis C; seroprevalence