Hepatitis A antibodies in two socioeconomically distinct populations of São Paulo, Brazil
Pannuti, C.S.; de Mendonça, J.S.; Carvalho, M.J.; Oselka, G.W.; Amato Neto, V.
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo 27(3): 162-164
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-4665 PMID: 3006212 Document Number: 256378
To evaluate the prevalence of antibody against hepatitis A in two socioeconomically distinct populations of a developing country, 540 serum specimens from children and adults living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were tested for IgG and anti HAV by a commerical radioimmunoassay (Havab, Abbott Laboratories). The prevalence of anti-HAV in low socioecononic level subjects was 75.0% in children 2-11 years old and 100.0% in adults, whereas in middle socioeconomic level significantly lower prevalences were observed (40.3% in children 2-11 years old and 91.9% in adults). Voluntary blood donors of middle socioeconomic level showed a prevalence of 90.4%. These data suggest that hepatitis A infection remains in highly endemic disease in Sao Paulo, Brazil.