| A Seroepidemiologic Study on Hepatitis A in Seoul, Korea |
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Dong Woon Yang, Young Ah Lee, Jung Yeon Shim, Jin Young Park, Hye Lim Jung, Moon Soo Park, Dong Hyeuk Keum |
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Department of Pediatrics, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
| 서울지역 소아 및 성인의 A형 바이러스 간염 항체 양성율에 대한 역학적 조사 |
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양동운, 이영아, 심정연, 박진영, 정혜림, 박문수, 금동혁 |
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성균관대학교 의과대학 강북삼성병원 소아과 |
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| Abstract |
Purpose
: The prevalence of hepatitis A(HAV) in a certain community reflects that community’s living standard and hygienic condition. And the pattern of HAV infection differs over time and geography, with varying widely from country to country and even within the same city. Recently a shift in prevalence has been observed in cases from childhood to adulthood. We studied HAV antibody prevalence in the general and welfare population of Seoul.
Methods
: From March to July 1997, a total of 686 subjects were tested for HAV antibody, of which 586 samples were collected from patients in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, and the remaining 100 samples from the inmates of a welfare facility.
Results
: The overall seropositive rate of HAV was 26.4%(181/686). In the hospital patient group, the seropositive rates were 72% in subjects aged below 6 months, 8.5% in 7-12 months, 0% in 1-4 years, 1.9% in 5-9 years, 0% in 10-14 years, 7.4% in 15-19 years, 64.3% in 20-29 years, and 100% in subjects aged over 30 years. The welfare-facility-inmate group showed significantly higher positive rates than the age-matched hospital patient group(P<0.05).
Conclusion
: As the socioeconomic condition in Korea has improved, the HAV seropositive rate in school-aged children has dramatically decreased in the last 15 years. But even in the same city, the seropositive rate of HAV differed according to the hygienic level. The seropositive rate of HAV in the pediatric group was very low, which suggests the increasing possibility of clinical HAV infection in adults in the near future. |
| Key Words:
Hepatitis A, Epidemiology, Seroprevalence, Anti-HAV IgG |
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