[The evaluation of contamination of water objects with hepatitis A virus (HAV) and the impact of HAV on morbidity trends in large seaports of the Ukraine].

The authors studied changes in the contamination of urban water objects with hepatitis A virus (HAV) (over 11 years) and analyzed its association with HAV infection morbidity in Odessa residents. The study showed that HAV antigen was isolated in 5.5% of all cases. The seawater was maximally contaminated (6.93%), the water of the Dniestr River and that of the distribution network were less contaminated--3.9 and 4.9%, respectively. The maximum quantity of HAV-containing drinking water samples were found in 1994 (52.6%) and 2002 (11.7%). In 1994-2004, there was a decrease in the contamination of drinking water with HAV antigen from 52.6% to 0.59%, which correlated to the reduction in morbidity rates (r = 0.73; p < 0.05).