Early infection and asymptomatic spread of hepatitis A virus in a public child care center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: should attending children under two years of age be vaccinated?
Open Access
- 1 June 2006
- journal article
- Published by FapUNIFESP (SciELO) in Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
- Vol. 101 (4), 401-405
- https://doi.org/10.1590/s0074-02762006000400010
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to identify hepatitis A virus (HAV) serological markers in 418 individuals (mean age, 16.4 years; range, 1 month-80 years) at a public child care center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as to analyze risk factors and determine circulating genotypes. Serum samples were tested using an enzyme immunoassay. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect and characterize HAV RNA, and sequencing was performed. Anti-HAV antibodies and IgM anti-HAV antibodies were detected, respectively, in 89.5% (374/418) and 10.5% (44/418) of the individuals tested. Acute HAV infection in children was independently correlated with crawling (p < 0.05). In 56.8% (25/44) of the IgM anti-HAV-positive individuals and in 33.3% (5/15) of the IgM anti-HAV-negative individuals presenting clinical symptoms, HAV RNA was detected. Phylogenetic analysis revealed co-circulation of subgenotypes IA and IB in 93.3% (28/30) of the amplified samples. In present study, we verify that 79% (30/38) of children IgM anti-HAV-positive were asymptomatic. In child care centers, this asymptomatic spread is a more serious problem, promoting the infection of young children, who rarely show signs of infection. Therefore, vaccinating children below the age of two might prevent the asymptomatic spread of hepatitis AKeywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Genetic analysis of hepatitis A virus isolates from BrazilJournal of Medical Virology, 2004
- Effect of maternal antibody on immunogenicity of hepatitis A vaccine in infantsThe Journal of Pediatrics, 2004
- Hepatitis A Transmitted by FoodClinical Infectious Diseases, 2004
- Hepatitis A vaccination of infants: effect of maternal antibody status on antibody persistence and response to a booster doseThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2003
- Characterization of hepatitis A virus isolates from subgenotypes IA and IB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil*Journal of Medical Virology, 2001
- Immunization against hepatitis A in the first year of life: priming despite the presence of maternal antibodyThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2000
- Contamination of Foods by Food Handlers: Experiments on Hepatitis A Virus Transfer to Food and Its InterruptionApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2000
- Pediatric migration and hepatitis A risk in host population.Journal of Travel Medicine, 1999
- Decline of hepatitis A antibodies during the first 7 months of life in full-term and preterm infants.Infection, 1999
- Spread of Disease by Fecal-Oral Route in Day Nurseries: A Modern Health HazardHealth Services Reports, 1973