[Evolution of the prevalence of hepatitis A antibody in Seville].

OBJECTIVE

To find the evolution of the prevalence of the Hepatitis-A antibody in Sevilla.

DESIGN

Observational study of a crossover type. Comparison of results in 1995 with those from a similar study in 1981.

SETTING

Health Area covered by Sevilla's University Hospital Virgen del Rocío.

PATIENTS AND OTHER

PARTICIPANTS

Aliquots of serum from patients without Hepatitis were obtained from the hospital's clinical analysis laboratories.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

The sera were analysed in the Nuclear Medicine laboratory of the HUVR. 37.96% (62.74% in 1981) of the individuals surveyed were HA-positive. Prevalence increased with age: in the over-24s it was over 75% (90% in 1981). The differences between the two sets of results was significant (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatitis-A infection is becoming less common in Andalusia, which can now be considered a low-incidence area.