Journal of Virology & Antiviral ResearchISSN: 2324-8955

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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
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.

Keywords: Hepatitis A Virus (HAV); Seroprevalence; Bulgaria

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