Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A among Students Enrolled in Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2011

BACKGROUND Hepatitis A is often asymptomatic in children, however it can become a serious disease in adults. For countries that do not have a universal vaccination strategy targeted vaccination for high risk groups is recommended. Health workers could be at a higher risk of infection with hepatitis A virus (HAV) compared to the general population. The aim of this study is to investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis A among enrolled students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2011. METHODS This study included all students enrolled in Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2011. We checked serum samples for anti-HAV antibody and participants completed a simple questionnaire. RESULTS SFrom 1864 health sciences students enrolled in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1813 samples were analyzed for anti-HAV IgG antibody. The results showed that 970 (53.5%) were seronegative, 722 (39.8%) were seropositive, and 121 (6.7%) were equivocal. There were significantly higher seropositive results for males (54%) compared to females (37%; RR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.31-1.62). CONCLUSION The seroprevalence of HAV among enrolled medical science students is considerably lower than previous reports from Iran. Targeted vaccination for health sciences students prior to exposure should be seriously considered.