The Prevalence of Hepatitis A in Children in British Columbia

BACKGROUND: The risk of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection during childhood is difficult to estimate without population serosurveys because HAV-related symptoms are often mild at this age. Few serosurveys have been conducted in Canada. The present study surveyed teenagers in two nonurban regions...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jan J Ochnio, David W Scheifele, Murray Fyfe, Mark Bigham, David Bowering, Paul Martiquet, Margaret Ho, Douglas N Talling
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2005-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2005/460983
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Summary:BACKGROUND: The risk of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection during childhood is difficult to estimate without population serosurveys because HAV-related symptoms are often mild at this age. Few serosurveys have been conducted in Canada. The present study surveyed teenagers in two nonurban regions of British Columbia where the historical rate of reported HAV either exceeded (region A) or was less than (region B) the historical provincial rate.METHODS: A point prevalence survey of salivary HAV-specific immunoglobulin G was conducted in high schools among grade 9 students in regions A and B. A questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic data. The survey was extended to grade 1 and grade 5 students in community 1 of region B. Associations between risk factors and prior infection were evaluated by logistic regression.
ISSN:1712-9532