Item

Comparative hepatitis A seroepidemiology in 10 European countries

Kurkela, S.
Pebody, R.
Kafatos, G.
Andrews, N.
Barbara, C.
Bruzzone, B.
Butur, D.
Caplinskas, S.
Davidkin, I.
Hatzakis, A.
... show 8 more
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract

SUMMARYThe WHO recommends hepatitis A virus (HAV) immunization according to level of transmission and disease burden. We aimed to identify susceptible age groups by standardized serosurveys to inform HAV vaccination policy in participating countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovakia. Each country tested national serum banks (n=1854-6748), collected during 1996-2004, for anti-HAV antibodies. Local laboratory results were standardized to common units. Forty-one per cent of those aged <30 years and 6% of those aged 30 years were susceptible to HAV in Romania; compared to 70-94% and 26-71%, respectively, elsewhere. Romania reported high HAV incidence in children and young adults. Other countries reported HAV disease primarily in older risk groups. The results suggest low level of HAV transmission in most of Europe. Romania, however, appeared as an area with intermediate transmission. Vaccination of risk groups in countries with high susceptibility of young and middle-aged adults needs to be continued

Description
Date
2012-12-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Chapter title
Publication type
Peer reviewed scientific article
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Adult, adults, age, AGE GROUPS, Age-group, Aged, antibodies, Antibody, Area, article, AS, Belgium, CHILDREN, Common, Countries, CZECH, Czech Republic, disease, electronic, Europe, European, European countries, Finland, Germany, Group, health, Hepatitis, Hepatitis A, identify, Immunization, incidence, IS, ITALY, journal, Laboratories, LEVEL, london, low level, middle aged, national, need, needs, older, POLICIES, POLICY, protection, result, results, risk, serum, Service, Services, Transmission, UK, Vaccination, VIRUS, WHO, young, Young adult, Young adults, Young-adults
Citation
Topic(s)
Related project
Embedded videos