[ANTI-HAV IgG PREVALENCE IN A POPULTION BETWEEN 1 AND 39 YEARS OLD IN LIMA,PERU]

The prevalence of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) in a country largely reflects its standards of hygiene and socio-economic conditions. In The 80's, it was reported 98% positive anti-HAV in adults and 82% in children; the rate increased with age, from 30% in thosed aged 1 year old to 100% in those of 8 years old.From October to December 1999, we performed a Sero-epidemiologic survey to evaluate the presence of Hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV) in 859 subjects (518 were children and 341 adults), aged fron 1 to 39 years old, divided in two groups according to their socio-economic status (high and very high, low and very low).Adults older than 20 years old had 84% positives (288/341). Children (between 1 to 14 years old) had 46.3% positives (163/352): 35.6% (57/160) from socio-economic group AB and 55.2% (106/192) in level CD.We concluded that in the last 15 years was performed as significant decrease in the prevalence of Hepatitis A virus infection in children and adolescent polpulation of Lima-Peru, forming an intermediate endemicity as epidemiological pattern.