title: Hepatitis A Seropositivity among First-Year Students of the Medical University in Isfahan, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Students of medicine are prone to contact with various infectious agents such as hepatitis A virus (HAV). Infection with HAV may lead to morbidity and in rare cases, mortality. We evaluated the seroprevalence of HAV among 1(st)-year medical students to assess the necessity of vaccination/preventive immunoglobulin in this at-risk population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 among 403 1(st)-year medical students in Isfahan, Iran. Participants filled out a questionnaire including items on demographic characteristics, medical history, and hygiene. Then, the anti-HAV IgG antibody was assessed using the ELISA method (Diagnostic Bioprobes, Dia-Pro, Milan, Italy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 403 students invited to attend the study, 361 ones (89.5%) agreed to participate (61.1% female), with a mean age of 19.8 ± 2.6 years. Of the participants, 272 (75.3%) students were seropositive. Seropositivity was not associated with gender (P = 0.222), but was associated with the number of family members (P < 0.001), residence place (P = 0.003), age (P < 0.001), and the type of drinking water (P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One of the four medical college students of our society is prone to hepatitis A infection. Accordingly, vaccination/preventive immunoglobulin is suggested for this population; however, whether a prior serological screening is cost-effective needs further evaluation by epidemiologic data from our society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Child Health Promotion Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saneian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shoaei
keywords: Epidemiology; Hepatitis A; Iran; health occupations students; prevention; vaccination