Duality of patterns in hepatitis a epidemiology: A study involving two socioeconomically distinct populations in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil

• Main Authors: João Renato Rebello PINHO, Laura Massami SUMITA, Regina Célia MOREIRA, Vanda Akico U. Fick de SOUZA, Claudia P. SARACENI, Isabel Takano OBA, Mariana C. S. CARVALHO, Claudio Sergio PANNUTI
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1998
• Subjects: Hepatitis A; Antibodies; Seroepidemiology; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/7e292517c0474f81a1197e6d944d3ab9

To evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A in two socioeconomically distinct populations, 101 and 82 serum samples from high and low socioeconomic groups, respectively, were analysed for the presence of IgG anti-HAV using a commercial ELISA. The prevalence in low socioeconomic level subjects was 95.0%, whereas in high socioeconomic subjects was only 19.6% (p<0.001). These data show a duality in Brazil: anti-HAV prevalence in low socioeconomic subjects is similar to that of developing countries, while in high socioeconomic subjects, a pattern typical of developed countries is found. The control of this infection in our country is primarily related to the improvement of sanitation, but especially for high socioeconomic level populations, the use of vaccination against hepatitis A is strongly advisable to avoid the occasional appearance of this disease in adults.