Author(s) |
Bowden FJ
Miller NC
Currie, Bart
Locarnini SA
Krause, Vicki
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Publication Date |
1994-09-19
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Abstract |
OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of immunity to hepatitis A virus infection in rural Australian Aboriginal populations in the "Top End" of the Northern Territory. METHODS: A total of 344 sera, for which details of donors' age, sex and domicile were available, were collected and tested for hepatitis A total antibody in a delinked seroprevalence study. RESULTS: Overall, 337/344 samples (97.97%) tested positive for hepatitis A total antibodies--18/20 samples (90%) in the 1-5 year age group; 85/88 (96.6%) in the 6-10 year age group; 98/98 (100%) in the 11-15 year age group; 32/33 (97.0%) in the 16-20 year age group and 104/105 (99%) in the older than 20 year age group. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis A is hyperendemic in the rural Aboriginal communities studied and the virus is acquired predominantly in the first five years of life. Symptomatic hepatitis A infection is uncommon in this population. We suggest that hepatitis A vaccination for rural Aboriginal children is not indicated as it would not reduce clinical disease rates and may produce a cohort whose immunity could decrease over the following 10 years. Although vaccination is appropriate for non-immune individuals working in remote communities, emphasis must be placed on the inequities in health infrastructure and education underlying the high transmission rates in Aboriginal children.
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Affiliation |
Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services, Darwin.
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Citation |
Med J Aust. 1994 Sep 19;161(6):372-3.
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Pubmed ID |
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8090115/?otool=iaurydwlib
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Link | |
Volume |
161
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Subject |
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
*Health Services Needs and Demand
Hepatitis A/blood/*ethnology/immunology/*prevention & control/transmission
Hepatitis A Antibodies
Hepatitis A Vaccines
Hepatitis Antibodies/blood
Hepatovirus/immunology
Humans
Infant
Male
Northern Territory/epidemiology
*Oceanic Ancestry Group
*Population Surveillance
Prevalence
Rural Population
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Vaccination/adverse effects/*statistics & numerical data
*Vaccines, Inactivated
*Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
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Title |
Should aboriginals in the "top end" of the Northern Territory be vaccinated against hepatitis A?
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Type of document |
Journal Article
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Entity Type |
Publication
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