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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 102, No. 1, 2007, pp. 121-123
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Bioline Code: oc07021
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol. 102, No. 1, 2007, pp. 121-123
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Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection in Afro-Brazilian isolated communities in Central Brazil
Kozlowski,Aline G; Motta-Castro, Ana RC; Nascimento, Laura B; Silva, Ágabo MC; Teles, Sheila A; Villar, Livia M; Gaspar, Ana MC & Martins, Regina MB
Abstract
To investigate hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection rates among isolated African-descendant communities in Central Brazil, 947 subjects were interviewed about demographic characteristics in all 12 isolated Afro-descendant communities existing in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil, between March 2002 and November 2003. Blood samples were collected and sera were tested for HAV antibodies (total and IgM anti-HAV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The overall prevalence of HAV infection was 75.6% (95% CI: 72.7-78.3), ranging from 55.4 to 97.3%, depending on the communities studied. The prevalence of anti-HAV increased significantly with age, from 13.8% in the age 0-5 age group to 96.6% in those older than 40 years. The findings point out an intermediate endemicity of HAV infection in some Afro-Brazilian isolated communities in Central Brazil. In addition, the high proportion of susceptible young subjects could be target of future HAV vaccination programs.
Keywords
Afro-Brazilian - hepatitis A virus - prevalence
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