RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Seroprevalence in the Elderly Living in Nursing Homes
JF Journal of Investigative Medicine
JO J Investig Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 717
OP 719
DO 10.2310/JIM.0b013e3181ab8cab
VO 57
IS 6
A1 Maral, Isil
A1 Dogruman-Al, Funda
A1 Bakar, Coskun
A1 Ilhan, Mustafa Necmi
A1 Yalinay-Cirak, Meltem
A1 Bumin, Mehmet Ali
YR 2009
UL http://jim.bmj.com/content/57/6/717.abstract
AB Background Communal living situations such as nursing homes create a risk for the spread of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and HCV in the elderly living in 2 nursing homes in Ankara, Turkey.Methods A total of 227 persons (mean age, 76.11 ± 8.55 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. All individuals were investigated seroprevalence for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and anti-HCV IgG.Results Positive seroprevalence was 11.9% for HBsAg, 48.0% for anti-HBs IgG, 25.1% for anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and 2.5% for anti-HCV IgG. Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity was 12.4% in males and 11.5% in females (P > 0.05); and the seroprevalence was 10.4% for those living in nursing homes for 1 year or less and 13.0% for those living in nursing homes for more than 1 year (P > 0.05).Conclusions The fact that nearly half of those living in nursing homes had not encountered hepatitis B infection or had not received hepatitis B vaccination indicates the need for administering hepatitis B vaccines in this group.