OCCURRENCE OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS AMONG CHILDREN IN A SEMI-URBAN TERTIARY CARE INSTITUTE, TAMILNADU

Abstract

Hepatitis A is a common acute infectious disease which may lead to degenerative changes in most of body organs. The
common site of Hepatitis A infection is contributed to the liver, which leads to impaired liver functions. Hepatitis A belongs to the
group of RNA virus which commonly spreads through oral route, food and water contamination. It may spread through blood
products but the prevalence rate is very less. Symptoms typically appear 3 to 8 weeks after the initial infection. During the acute
stage of the infection, the liver enzyme alanine transferase (ALT) is present in the blood at levels much higher than in normal.
The enzyme are released by the liver cells that have been degenerated by the virus. Hepatitis A can be prevented by vaccination,
good hygiene and sanitation. Materials And Methods The present study was done on 137 children of age group around 6 months
to 15 years. The serum sample was separated and tested for presence of anti-HAV antibodies using a commercially available
ELISA kit. Results From our study we concluded that Out of 137 children 119 were found to be positive for anti-HAV antibody.
The anti-HAV positivity rates were different among different age groups and the occurrence of anti-HAV antibody among
children increased as age increases and was found to be maximum among the age group of 11 – 15 years. In the high
socioeconomic group, the occurrence of anti-HAV antibody was low prevalence when compared to low socioeconomic group.