Objectives The number of cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections has sharply increased in Korea, especially among young adults. In this study, an HAV outbreak in a facility for disabled people was investigated, and we found epidemiological differences both between 2 different generations and between generally abled and disabled groups.
Methods We analyzed the incubation period and attack rate of an HAV outbreak and investigated the prevalence of HAV antibodies among the staff and residents of a facility for the disabled. We performed a retrospective cohort study during the HAV outbreak, which lasted from February 8 to 25, 2019, including examinations of HAV antibody tests and post-exposure HAV vaccination for the staff or residents of the facility.
Results There were 9 confirmed cases in 2 staff members and 7 residents. Among 53 people (30 staff and 23 residents), except for the 9 confirmed cases and 1 staff member with a known history of HAV infection, HAV seroprevalence was seen in 16.7% of the staff under 40 years of age and 95.2% of those over 40 years of age, while the corresponding rates in the residents were 0.0% and 58.8%, respectively.
Conclusions This result implies that it is necessary to prioritize HAV vaccination for vulnerable groups and workers of residential care facilities.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구는 장애인 거주시설에서 발생한 A형간염 유행 사례를 다루고 있다. 그 결과 거주시설 소속의 장애인들은 종사자들보다 높은 발병률(attack rate)을 나타냈을 뿐만 아니라, 비슷한 연령의 일반 인구집단보다 낮은 항체유병률을 나타내는 것으로 확인되었다. 거주시설 소속의 장애인들과 같이 취약한 인구집단은 예방접종 이력을 확인하기 어려울 뿐만 아니라 병원체에 자연스럽게 노출 기회가 적을 수밖에 없기 때문에, 예방접종 정책 수립 시 우선 접종의 대상으로 고려될 필요가 있다.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
The Shifting Epidemiology of Hepatitis A in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Nina G. Gloriani, Sheriah Laine M. de Paz-Silava, Robert D. Allison, Yoshihiro Takashima, Tigran Avagyan Vaccines.2024; 12(2): 204. CrossRef
A Study on the Detection Rate of Hepatitis A from Gastroenteritis Patients and the Genotype Analysis of Hepatitis A Virus in Busan Sun Hee Park, Chanhee Kim, Summi Lee, Jihye Jeong, Junghye Choi, Seung Ju Lee Journal of Bacteriology and Virology.2023; 53(2): 74. CrossRef
A Study on the Detection Rate of Hepatitis A from Gastroenteritis Patients and the Genotype Analysis of Hepatitis A Virus in Busan Sun Hee Park, Chanhee Kim, Summi Lee, Jihye Jeong, Junghye Choi, Seung Ju Lee Journal of Bacteriology and Virology.2023; 53(2): 74. CrossRef
OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to produce basic data on the prenatal environmental risk factors of low birth weight infants at a community level. METHODS: In 2000, we conducted the direct interview using questionnaire about prenatal environmental risk factors with low birth weight infant-delivered mothers and normal weight infant-delivered mothers in Asan-city, Chungcheongnamdo Province, Korea. The questions given to the mothers included past pregnancy history, menstrual status, disease history before and during the pregnancy, family history, environmental risk factors and exposure history. The responses of the two groups were compared to calculate the prenatal environmental risk factors of each group. RESULTS: Mothers' smoking was significantly associated with low birth weight infants (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-8.56) and preterm baby (AOR 4.20; 95% CI, 1.21-14.61). Other environmental risk factors were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Smoking of mothers can be a risk factor for the delivery of low birth weight infants. These results could provide the basic data on prenatal environmental risk factors of mothers of low birth weight infants and suggest research topics for further community-based evaluation.
OBJECTIVES This study estimated the burden of disease due to high alcohol consumption using DALY, a composite indicator recently developed by the Global Burden of Disease study group. The results were analyzed by age and sex. METHODS: Firstly, high alcohol consumption-related diseases, and their relative risk (RR), were selected. Secondly, population attributable fractions (PAFs) were computed using formulae, including the relative risk (RR) and prevalence of exposure (Pe). Thirdly, the DALYs of high alcohol consumption-related diseases were estimated. Lastly, the attributable burdens of diseases due to high alcohol consumption wereconcluded as being the sum of the products that multiplied the DALYs of high alcohol consumption-related diseases by their population attributable fraction (PAF). RESULTS: The burden of high alcohol consumption in Korea was 2992.3 person years (PYs) per 100, 000 persons in men, and 1426.6 in women. For men, the high alcohol consumption-induced diseases with the five biggest burdens were liver cirrhosis, hypertensive disease, liver cancer, cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage. For women, these were cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, hypertensive disease, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the attributable fraction of diseases due to exposure to high alcohol consumption, by quantifying the results of exposure to risk factors. Therefore, it is now possible to assess interventions for risk factors in quantifiable terms in each population. Finally, measuring the risk factor burdens was expected to contribute to priority setting and effective resource allocation in public health policy.