Current prevalence of hepatitis B, A and C in a healthy Spanish population. A seroepidemiological study

Abstract

A seroepidemiological study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence of markers of viral hepatitis infection in employees of five health-care companies and their cohabiting family members. Each participating family unit was required to fill out a questionnaire, in which, among other data, the employee was requested to indicate his or her job category. Markers of hepatitis B infection (anti-HBs, anti-HBc or HBsAg) were observed in 11.7% (58/497) of all subjects. When employees and family members were analysed according to the employee's job category, significant differences were found between "staff" (3%) and "administrative personnel" (13.3%; p less than 0.01) or "factory workers" (16.9%; p less than 0.01). Of 489 individuals tested for the presence of anti-HAV and anti-HCV, 59.1% and 0.6% respectively, were positive. There was a correlation between the prevalence of anti-HAV and age; a large proportion of the subjects under the age of 30 years had no evidence of prior HAV infection.