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Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis A antibody in Thai children
S Kalayanarooj1, D W Vaughn, R Snitbhan
1Children's Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Hepatitis A antibody prevalence is very low in Bangkok children, with only 1.1% testing positive overall. This suggests low hepatitis A transmission, prompting recommendations for hepatitis A vaccination in 4-5 year olds.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a significant public health concern globally.
- Previous studies indicated high prevalence rates of anti-HAV in Thailand, with rates as high as 50-65% ten years ago.
- Understanding current age-specific prevalence is crucial for evaluating vaccination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the age-specific prevalence of antibodies to Hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) in children in Bangkok.
- To assess current Hepatitis A transmission rates in Bangkok's pediatric population.
- To inform recommendations for Hepatitis A vaccination strategies in Thailand.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 183 healthy children from middle to low socioeconomic families in Bangkok and its vicinity.
- Children were divided into three age groups with mean ages of 12.6, 20.7, and 52.5 months.
- Serological testing for anti-HAV antibodies was performed on all participants.
Main Results:
- No children in the younger age groups (12.6 and 20.7 months) tested positive for anti-HAV.
- Two out of 99 children in the oldest age group (52.5 months) were positive for anti-HAV.
- The overall prevalence of anti-HAV in children under five years old was 1.1%, indicating a significant decrease from previous years.
Conclusions:
- Hepatitis A transmission rates in Bangkok are currently very low compared to a decade ago.
- Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for 4-5 year old children in Bangkok based on these findings.
- Further epidemiological data on Hepatitis A transmission across Thailand is needed to consider nationwide immunization programs.
Abstract:
Age-specific prevalence of anti-HAV was determined for 3 groups of children whose mean ages were 12.6, 20.7 and 52.5 months. There were 41, 43 and 99 children in the respective age groups. All children were healthy, from middle to low socioeconomic families in Bangkok and vicinity. None of the children in the two younger age groups had anti-HAV antibody while 2 of 99 children in the oldest age group did. One of them resided in central Bangkok (Amphoe Dusit) and the other in Nonthaburi Province. The overall prevalence of anti-HAV in children under 5 years old was 1.1%. This demonstrates that hepatitis A transmission rates in Bangkok are very low when compared to ten years ago when prevalence rates were as high as 50-65%. From this study hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for 4-5 years old children in Bangkok. We need more epidemiologic data concerning hepatitis A transmission in Thailand before we can consider hepatitis A immunization for the whole country.