Abstract
Background: Hepatitis A is a preventable infectious disease with global distribution. Knowledge about the epidemiology of hepatitis A in a particular region will helpful for appropriate management of cases as well as preventive strategies for that region or area could be planned. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) as cause of acute viral hepatitis (AVH) in Central Karnataka, India. Methods: Blood samples were collected from AVH cases over a period of six months from June 2015 to November 2015 among patients attending a tertiary care centre, Davangere, Karnataka, India. Samples were tested for HAV IgM antibody (anti-HAV IgM) using a commercially available immunochromatographic assay . Results: Out of 51 samples tested, 19 (37.25%) were positive for anti-HAV IgM. Seropositivity for HAV was higher in females (43.75%) than males (34.29%). Agewise anti-HAV IgM positivity showed highest rate in 1-5 years age group (50.0% ), followed by 6-10 years group (42.86%) with a decline in older age groups (> 15 years). Conclusions: HAV causes AVH most commonly in early childhood and a small number of adolescents and adults. Females are more commonly infected than males. The preventive strategies and control measures of hepatitis A will be determined by future definition of HAV epidemiology in the Central Karnataka region, India.
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