Hepatitis A Seropositivity among First-Year Students of the Medical University in Isfahan, Iran

BACKGROUND: Students of medicine are prone to contact with various infectious agents such as hepatitis A virus (HAV). Infection with HAV may lead to morbidity and in rare cases, mortality. We evaluated the seroprevalence of HAV among 1(st)-year medical students to assess the necessity of vaccination/preventive immunoglobulin in this at-risk population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 among 403 1(st)-year medical students in Isfahan, Iran. Participants filled out a questionnaire including items on demographic characteristics, medical history, and hygiene. Then, the anti-HAV IgG antibody was assessed using the ELISA method (Diagnostic Bioprobes, Dia-Pro, Milan, Italy). RESULTS: Among the 403 students invited to attend the study, 361 ones (89.5%) agreed to participate (61.1% female), with a mean age of 19.8 ± 2.6 years. Of the participants, 272 (75.3%) students were seropositive. Seropositivity was not associated with gender (P = 0.222), but was associated with the number of family members (P < 0.001), residence place (P = 0.003), age (P < 0.001), and the type of drinking water (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: One of the four medical college students of our society is prone to hepatitis A infection. Accordingly, vaccination/preventive immunoglobulin is suggested for this population; however, whether a prior serological screening is cost-effective needs further evaluation by epidemiologic data from our society.