Revista de virología e investigación antiviral

Prevalence of Hepatitis A virus in Bulgaria

Kevorkyan A, Raycheva R, Markova E, Presti ALo and Angeletti S

Bulgaria is a country in an intermediate endemic area for HAV infection but data on seroprevalence are poorly reported. 705 individuals from the region of Plodiv were enrolled and screened for anti-HAV IgG. The results were compared with data from other two regions, Sofia and Pleven. In Plodiv, the prevalence of anti-HAV IgG was 46.5% similarly to that reported in Sofia and Pleven regions (44.06% and 54.5%, respectively), with almost half of the respondents immune. In Sofia and Plodiv regions, the seronegativity was significantly prevalent (55.94% vs 44.06%; p<0.005 and 53.5% vs 46.5%; p<0.05, respectively) than in Pleven, where the seropositivity was predominant (54.5% compared to 45.5 % ; p<0.05). In all three regions the seroprevalence increased with age. The results described should represent the basis for further strategies of prevention and control of HAV infection in Bulgaria a country where such epidemiological information are still lacking.