The Changing Epidemiology Of Hepatitis - A Infection: The Youth We Missed

Barış Ertunç¹, Mustafa Arslan², Nurşen Çelik Ertunç³, Atiye Nil Palanci Sakarya⁴, Sinan Öztürk⁵, Gürdal Yilma⁶

¹Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Health Sciences University Trabzon Kanuni Education and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey - ²Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Amasya University Faculty of Medicine, Amasya, Turkey  - ³Department of Child Health and Diseases, Health Sciences University Trabzon Kanuni education and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey - ⁴Department of Child Health and Diseases, The Ministry Of Health Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey - ⁵Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Health Sciences University Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey - ⁶Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey 

Aim: Hepatitis-A virus (HAV) is a disease that can be seen all over the world and spread easily due to the fact that it can be transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Because it is a disease that can be easily prevented by correcting vaccination and sanitation conditions, it is important to follow up on current seroprevelans and sanitation conditions and take local vaccination policies and other measures in this direction. In our study, we aimed to determine the sensitive population by revealing the current Seroprevalence of HAV in different geographical regions of our country.

Material and methods: Between January 2015 – December 2020, data of patients who received anti-HAV IgG in 5 education and research hospital from 4 different geographical regions were retrospectively examined. Anti-HAV IgG values were determined by ELISA method.

Results: The study included 54 374 patients. The total seronegativity rate in our patients was 37.6 %. Seronegativity rates by age were 44.6% between the ages of 8-17; 39.1% between the ages of 18-45 and 30.5% over the ages of 45. Of the 985 patients who were health workers, 913 (92.7%) were seronegative (sensitive). 

Discussion: In our study, the height of seronegativity rates in young people was remarkable.  HAV vaccine has been included in the routine childhood vaccination program in Turkey since 2012. Especially due to the fact that the rates of seronegativity in the young population are starting to increase and this group is ignored, a kind of lost generation occurs. This suggests that HAV may be an important public health problem in the coming years. In order to gain this lost generation, screening of these people and especially young people who are studying or working in the field of Health and vaccination of those who are seronegative should be provided.