[Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis A virus infection among health sciences students in Catalonia, Spain]

Background: To know current hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis A (HAV) infection status among a group of health sciences students during 1990-1993 period.
Subjects: 1,734 health sciences students during 1990-1991, 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 academic years.
Main outcome measures: demographic variables, vaccination history against HAV and HBV viruses, anti-HBc and anti-HAV antibody titres (ELISA kits).
Results: 1,734 subjects aged 22.5 +/- 2.9 years (75% women) were included. Anti-HBc total cumulated prevalence during the three year period was 2.5% (CI 95%, 1.9%-3.4%). Anti-HAV total cumulated prevalence during the three year period was 13.9% (CI 95%: 11.4%-16.8%). No statistical significant association between antibody prevalence and both age sex was found.
Conclusions: Low prevalence, and thus, high susceptibility to HBV and HAV infection was found. We stress the importance of systematic vaccination among health sciences students not previously engaged in universal vaccination programmes. We also point out the need for further analysis upon the utility of combined HB/HA vaccine as an alternative to antihepatitis B universal vaccination programmes among adolescent cohorts.