Short Communication, J Virol Antivir Res Vol: 4 Issue: 2
Prevalence of Hepatitis A virus in Bulgaria
Ani Kevorkyan1, Ralitsa Raycheva2, Elitsa Markova3, Alessandra Lo Presti4, Silvia Angeletti5*, Massimo Ciccozzi4 and Pavel Teoharov3 | |
1Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plodiv, Bulgaria | |
2Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plodiv, Bulgaria. | |
3Department of Virology, National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria | |
4Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy | |
5Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy | |
Corresponding author : Silvia Angeletti Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, Rome, Italy Tel: +3906225411461 E-mail: s.angeletti@unicampus.it |
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Received: June 25, 2015 Accepted: July 31, 2015 Published: August 06, 2015 | |
Citation: Kevorkyan A, Raycheva R, Markova E, Presti ALo, Angeletti S, et al. (2015) Prevalence of Hepatitis A virus in Bulgaria. J Virol Antivir Res 4:2. doi:10.4172/2324-8955.1000139 |
Abstract
Bulgaria is a country in an intermediate endemic area for HAV infection but data on seroprevalence are poorly reported. 705 individuals from the region of Plodiv were enrolled and screened for anti-HAV IgG. The results were compared with data from other two regions, Sofia and Pleven. In Plodiv, the prevalence of anti-HAV IgG was 46.5% similarly to that reported in Sofia and Pleven regions (44.06% and 54.5%, respectively), with almost half of the respondents immune. In Sofia and Plodiv regions, the seronegativity was significantly prevalent (55.94% vs 44.06%; p<0.005 and 53.5% vs 46.5%; p<0.05, respectively) than in Pleven, where the seropositivity was predominant (54.5% compared to 45.5 % ; p<0.05). In all three regions the seroprevalence increased with age. The results described should represent the basis for further strategies of prevention and control of HAV infection in Bulgaria a country where such epidemiological information are still lacking.