Abstract

QUIAN1, JORGE; RUTTIMANN, RICARDO  and  MATRAI3, LOREDANA. Prevalencia de anticuerpos contra hepatitis A en una población de Montevideo, Uruguay. Arch. Pediatr. Urug. [online]. 2005, vol.76, n.3, pp.222-227. ISSN 1688-1249.

Summary Aim: to determine the antibody prevalence against hepatitis A (anti-HVA) in healthy children, adolescents and young adults living in Montevideo. As a secondary objective to determine the presence of those anti-HVA classified by age, gender ando socio-economic level, personal and family background of the disease. Methods: descriptive trail performed from 1^st January to May of 2000. Probable healthy population from different centers was included trying to involve diverse socio-economic levels of the population. The size of the sample was based on theorethical prevalence of HVA bearers pf 50% at the age of ten. One thousand individuals were recruited. A 2,5 ml blood test was performed with ELISA commercial technique in the University of Rosario, Argentina. A form with data from the person, family and house was filled, and they were classified at high, average and low level according to the Bronfman scale. Results: the global prevalence found was 57,6%; under 10 years of age reached 55,9%. Female geneder prevailed, major percentage of bearers who did not have sewage, who had cramped living conditions and who did have hepatitis antecedents in their family. According to the socio-economic level some differences for anti-HVA were found, above all between the high and low levels. The multivariate analysis showed that the variables included (socio-economic level, family history of hepatitis, family with more than 2 children, cramped living conditions and the age) are all the independent predictors of seroprevalence for anti-HVA. Discussion: the anti-HVA found was 57%, similar to the intermediate endemic regions. A high transmission in the early ages of the life can be proved, however, there is a population of susceptible adolescents and young adults in which the disease has a major morbility and mortality

Keywords :   HEPATITIS A;   HEPATITIS ANTIBODIES;   PREVALENCE.

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