Prevalence of hepatitis A in southern part of Delhi, India

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is one of the important causes of hepatitis in developing countries. It is transmitted through orofecal route. They pose major health problems. Objective: To determine the prevalence of HAV in patients presenting with acute viral hepatitis. Materials and Methods: Serum samples of the patients presenting with fever, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice were collected and analyzed by using commercially available mini VIDAS (Biomeriux, France) to detect immunoglobulin M (IgM) against HAV. A one-year retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India. Result: Of the 89 serum samples subjected to mini VIDAS for detection of HAV IgM in patients, 30 (33.7%) were found to be positive. The prevalence was found to be more in male patients than in female patients, that is, 21 (70%) and 9 (30%), respectively, and was predominantly seen in the 5–15 years of the school-going age group. Peak cases were found in the monsoon season. Conclusion: Regular monitoring of clinical, serological, and molecular characteristics would help in understanding the epidemiology of HAV and in planning the intervention studies. Prevalence was lower in the age group of 0–5 years, which shows epidemiological shift and improvement in hygiene and in socioeconomic conditions.