Perez O M, Morales W, Paniagua M, Strannegard O
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leon, Nicaragua.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1996 Jul;55(1):17-21.
A cross-sectional survey of the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), B (HBV), C (HCV), and E (HEV) antibodies in a healthy population in Leon, Nicaragua was conducted and associated with demographic data. The overall prevalence of antibodies to HAV was 94.6%, to HBV 6.5% and to HEV between 4.6% and 8.0%, whereas none of 399 tested subjects showed confirmed seropositivity to HCV. A high HAV seropositivity rate (72.7%) was observed even in the lowest age groups tested (2-4 years of age). In contrast, HBV and HEV seropositivity was observed mainly in adults, the seroprevalence in > 40-year-old individuals being 15.4% and 17.6%, respectively. The overall mean hepatitis B surface antigen carrier rate was estimated to be 0.9%, and in individuals more than 20 years of age, 2.0%. The prevalence of anti-HAV as well as anti-HEV was significantly higher in people having their water supply outside rather than inside the house. Furthermore anti-HAV seroprevalence correlated with lack of access to a flush toilet. Hepatitis B virus seropositivity was more frequent in people living in a crowded environment than in those living with few household members. These findings indicate that hepatitis A is a childhood infection in Nicaragua and that the spread of the infection is facilitated by poor socioeconomic conditions. In contrast, HBV infection is relatively infrequent in the country and HCV seems to be very uncommon. Hepatitis E virus infection may occur in all age groups and is apparently associated with water-borne transmission.
在尼加拉瓜莱昂的健康人群中进行了一项关于甲型肝炎病毒（HAV）、乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）、丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）和戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）抗体血清流行率的横断面调查，并将其与人口统计学数据相关联。HAV抗体的总体流行率为94.6%，HBV抗体为6.5%，HEV抗体为4.6%至8.0%，而399名受试对象中无一例显示出确诊的HCV血清阳性。即使在测试的最低年龄组（2至4岁）中也观察到较高的HAV血清阳性率（72.7%）。相比之下，HBV和HEV血清阳性主要在成年人中观察到，40岁以上个体的血清流行率分别为15.4%和17.6%。估计乙型肝炎表面抗原总体平均携带率为0.9%，20岁以上个体为2.0%。家庭供水在室外而非室内的人群中抗HAV以及抗HEV的流行率显著更高。此外，抗HAV血清流行率与无法使用冲水马桶相关。生活在拥挤环境中的人群比家庭成员较少的人群中HBV血清阳性更为常见。这些发现表明，在尼加拉瓜甲型肝炎是一种儿童期感染，并且社会经济条件差促进了感染的传播。相比之下，该国HBV感染相对不常见，HCV似乎非常罕见。戊型肝炎病毒感染可能发生在所有年龄组，并且显然与水传播有关。
