Evaluation of Hepatitis A Seroprevalence in Patients Admitted to a University Hospital

Objectives: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a ribonucleic acid virus that usually causes acute self-limiting liver disease and is transmitted via the fecal-oral route.The prevalence of HAV is an indicator of socioeconomic level and closely related to geographical differences and hygiene. Materials and Methods:This study aimed to investigate the seropositivity of anti-HAV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-HAV IgM in patients of different age groups admitted to our hospital.A total of 3,110 cases were analyzed using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method and patients were divided into four age groups: 0-12 years, 13-17 years, 18-35 years, and over 35 years old.The chi-square test was used to evaluate the anti-HAV IgG serological variable about the independent variables such as age and gender.Results: There was no significant difference between genders.However, a statistically significant difference was observed between the 0-12 and 13-17 age groups, as well as between the 18-35 and >35 age groups.Anti-HAV IgM reactivity was detected only in a 43-year-old female.HAV seropositivity between 13 and 35 years of age is significantly lower, suggesting that the vaccine should also be administered to young adults.Conclusion: Seroprevalence data is crucial for outbreak prevention, guiding public health measures such as sanitation and hygiene, and particularly for planning vaccination programs.