Hepatitis A virus seroprevalence in South Africa - estimates using routine laboratory data, 2005–2015

dc.contributor.authorMazanderani, Ahmad Haeri
dc.contributor.authorMotaze, Nkengafac Villyen
dc.contributor.authorMcCarthy, Kerrigan
dc.contributor.authorSuchard, Melinda
dc.contributor.authorDu Plessis, Nicolette Marie
dc.date.accessioned2020-08-24T15:28:38Z
dc.date.available2020-08-24T15:28:38Z
dc.date.issued2019-06
dc.description.abstractINTRODUCTION : South Africa is considered highly endemic for hepatitis A virus (HAV) although few seroprevalence studies have been conducted over the past two decades. The World Health Organization recommends integrating HAV vaccination into national childhood immunization schedules where there is transition from high to intermediate endemicity. As a means of gauging age-specific rates of infection, we report HAV seroprevalence rates among specimens tested for HAV serology within South Africa’s public health sector from 2005–2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Hepatitis A serology results (Anti-HAV IgM, IgG and total antibody) from 2005–2015 were extracted from South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service’s Corporate Data Warehouse (NHLS CDW), the central data repository of all laboratory test-sets within the public health sector. Results were extracted according to test-set, result, date of testing, health facility, name, surname, age, and sex. Anti-HAV IgG results were merged with total antibody results to reflect anti-HAV seroprevalence. Testing volume, positivity rates and age-specific anti-HAV seroprevalence rates by year and geographic distribution are described. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION : A total of 501 083 HAV IgM results were retrieved, of which 16 423 (3.3%) were positive, 484 259 (96.6%) negative and 401 (0.1%) equivocal; and 34 710 HAV total antibody/IgG tests of which 30 675 (88.4%) were positive, 4 020 (11.6%) negative and 15 equivocal. Whereas IgM positivity was highest among the 1–4 year age group (33.5%) and lowest among patients >45 years (<0.5%), total antibody positivity ranged from its lowest level of 52.7% in the 1–4 year age group increasing to levels of >90% only after 25 years of age. CONCLUSION : Anti-HAV total antibody testing within the South African public health sector demonstrates seroprevalence rates reach levels >90% only in adulthood, suggesting South Africa could be in transition from high to intermediate endemicity. Prospective studies with geographically representative sampling are required to confirm these findings and evaluate provincial and urban/rural heterogeneity.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentMedical Virologyen_ZA
dc.description.departmentPaediatrics and Child Healthen_ZA
dc.description.librarianpm2020en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.plosone.orgen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHaeri Mazanderani A, Motaze NV, McCarthy K, Suchard M, du Plessis NM (2019) Hepatitis A virus seroprevalence in South Africa - Estimates using routine laboratory data, 2005– 2015. PLoS ONE 14(6): e0216033. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216033.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1371/journal.pone.0216033
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/75878
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_ZA
dc.rights© 2019 Haeri Mazanderani et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectImmunologyen_ZA
dc.subjectEpidemiologyen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa (SA)en_ZA
dc.subjectHepatitis A virus (HAV)en_ZA
dc.subjectSeroprevalenceen_ZA
dc.subjectChildhood immunizationen_ZA
dc.subjectPublic health sectoren_ZA
dc.titleHepatitis A virus seroprevalence in South Africa - estimates using routine laboratory data, 2005–2015en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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