High Hepatitis A Virus Seroprevalence and Low Self-Reported Vaccination Coverage Among Waste Collection Workers in...

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a relevant biological risk in some occupational settings and has long been discussed as an occupational health concern among municipal waste collection workers. Data on HAV seroprevalence and vaccination history in this occupational group remain limited in Italy. This study investigated HAV seroprevalence, self-reported vaccination history, and factors associated with HAV seropositivity among waste collection workers in Sardinia.

This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed HAV seroprevalence and self-reported vaccination history among 326 workers in Sardinia, Italy, using occupational health surveillance data (2017-2024). Recorded variables included age, sex, smoking habits, years of service, work setting, vaccination status, and serological results. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests assessed group differences; logistic regression identified factors independently associated with HAV seropositivity.

HAV seroprevalence was 44.2%; only 0.9% of participants reported previous HAV vaccination. Multivariable analysis identified older age, but not years of service, as independently associated with HAV seropositivity once age was modeled as a continuous variable-a pattern more consistent with birth-cohort differences in lifetime HAV exposure than with cumulative occupational exposure. Worksite 7 showed a higher prevalence ratio of HAV seropositivity relative to the reference site, but this finding was based on a small subsample and should be considered exploratory; observed worksite-level differences may reflect organizational rather than geographic factors.

Older age, rather than occupational tenure, was independently associated with HAV seropositivity among Sardinian waste workers, a pattern consistent with birth-cohort differences in lifetime exposure. The high seroprevalence and very low vaccination uptake highlight the need to strengthen prevention through improved vaccination access, awareness, and better integration of occupational and public health strategies.