Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(Supplement):S54-S61

The 2001 serological survey in the Czech Republic - Viral hepatitis

Němeček V., Částková J., Fritz P., Linhartová A., Švandová E., Šrámová H., Kříž B.

Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic

Within serological surveys 2001, prevalence of markers of hepatitis viruses A (anti-HAV), B (anti-HBc, HBsAg, anti-HBs) and for the first time also C (anti-HCV) was investigated. Sera were collected in 2001and tested by respective kits AxSYM, Abbott.
HAV: 2,623 sera were tested for the presence of anti-HAV antibodies. Comparison with serological surveys of 1984 and 1996 revealed again shifts of the age prevalence curve for anti-HAV antibodies towards higher age groups corresponding to time intervals between epidemiological surveys. High prevalence rates of anti-HAV antibodies (more than 20 %) were only found for the population age groups who lived in the period of high incidence of VHA, i.e. up to 1965. The prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies increased by about 5-10 % in the population under 20 years of age, the increase being significant and assumingly attributable to vaccination against VHA, and remained the same as in 1996 in the age group 20-29 years.
HBV: 2,568 sera were tested for the presence of anti-HBc antibodies and 76 reactive specimens were further tested for the presence of HBsAg and anti-HBs antibodies. The prevalence of anti-HBc antibodies continuously increases with age. The total prevalence of anti-HBc antibodies calculated for the Czech population is 5.59 % compared to 6.95 % recorded in 1996. The calculated prevalence rate of HBsAg is 0.56 % and that of anti-HBs antibodies is 3.99 % for the non-vaccinee population.
HCV: The prevalence rate of anti-HCV antibodies was 0.2 % with 6 out of 2,950 sera testing positive. Age dependence could not be assessed because of the small number of positive persons. HCV infection is known to afflict high-risk groups, likely to escape a general serological survey, rather than the normal population.

Keywords: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, serological surveys, epidemiology

Published: December 1, 2003  Show citation