The changing epidemiologic pattern of hepatitis A infection in urban Greece

The point prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) in a sample of 1,113 healthy Greek children and adolescents 0-19 years old was estimated by radioimmunoassay. The overall anti-HAV prevalence was 8.7%; it increased from almost zero among children less than four years of age to 16.3% in adolescents 15-19 years. Anti-HAV prevalence was independent of sex; it was lower among children born in Athens than among those born in other parts of the country, and it was higher in children of lower socioeconomic class. Compared with the results of previous surveys, the findings of the present study indicate that the exposure of Greek children to hepatitis A virus is decreasing, probably because of the improvement of socioeconomic conditions of the Greek population.