The seroprevalence of the "total" anti-HAV antibody in the Czech UNPRO Forces (1991-1995).

Viral hepatitis A is a common disease particularly in developing countries. That disease is endemic and it is always associated with poor standards of sanitation. All staff and troops in the U.N. (United Nations) are vaccinated by the Havrix vaccine. Till 1995 we did not vaccinate the Czech troops which have operated in the area of the former Yugoslavia. The main goal of this study was to obtain data about the seroprevalence of hepatitis A antibody among the Czech U.N. troops before their departure to the conflict area. The serum samples were investigated by the MEIA (Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay) method in the fully automated system for immunoassays IMx in the Military Institute of Health in Ceské Budĕjovice. We use the HAVAB investigation kits of the Abbott company. We obtained 884 serum samples (military staff of the Czech U.N. troops in Yugoslavia) in the years 1991-1995. In the laboratory we excluded 19 of the samples due to the small amount (less than 50 ul) or hemolysis. We investigated 865 of them (1991--65, 1992--296, 1993--265, 1994--35, 1995--204). The staff was divided into four age cohorts by ten years (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59), where the distribution of percentage was 32.6%, 43.6%, 22.5%, and 1.3% respectively. The positive samples were 287 (average seroprevalence was 33.2%, CI 30.1%-36.3%), the negative ones were 578 (66.8%). The seroprevalence 18.1% (CI 13.6%-22.6%), 36.1% (CI 31.3%-40.9%), 47.1% (CI 40.1%-54.1%), 72.7% (CI 46.4%-99.0%) in the age cohorts. The results show relatively low seroprevalence of the anti-HAV antibody in all the age cohorts and necessity to vaccinate the Czech UNPROFOR or IFOR units by Havrix before their departure to conflict area.