Hepatitis A seroepidemiology in Eastern Turkey.

BACKGROUND It has been reported that there are great deal of changes in the epidemiology of hepatitis A at the present. The epidemiologic studies regarding to hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection are not sufficient both in the country and study region. OBJECTIVE To investigate HAV seroprevalence and association with socio-demographic variables. DESIGN Cross-sectional and community based study. SETTING Erzurum Province, Eastern Turkey between April and June 1998. SUBJECTS Four hundred and fifty persons under the age of 30 years. RESULTS The rate of the study involvement was 87.1% (392 persons) and ratio for seropositivity 84.2%. Although seropositivity is elevated by age, it has been high within the younger age group. Epidemiological changes could not be interpreted, since the study results were first for the group of people aged under 30 years. Statistical significance was found between hepatitis A seroprevalence and age, the number of households and localisation of toilet within the house. There was no correlation between hepatitis A and sex, jaundice history, family type, tap water availability in the residential area. CONCLUSION The frequency of hepatitis A infection appearance in the region was found out to be high as compared to other regions of Turkey.