Prevalence of hepatitis A among newly admitted medical students of Isfahan city in 2012

Medical sciences students are commonly exposed to infectious agents, including hepatitis A virus (HAV). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HAV antibody among newly admitted medical students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional analytic descriptive study, 403 freshmen were selected non probability and serum samples evaluated by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to determine total antibodies IgG and IgM against hepatitis A. A total of 403 students, 252 (62.5%) males and 151 (37.5%) females, were included in the study. The prevalence of Anti-HAV IgG-IgM was detected 67.5%. It was found a significant relationship between hepatitis A infection with residence and drinking water (P<0.01 & P<0.018, respectively). Freshmen are considered as a high risk group for HAV infection. So, primary screening and vaccination of negative anti-HAV antibody individuals is recommended.