Key result
The seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies among adults over 40 years of age was >93% in northeastern China and South Korea, but significantly lower in Japan (20.4% for indigenous Japanese and 33.3% for Koreans in Japan).
Cross-Sectional (n=1,500)
Yes
HAV seroprevalence in Northeastern Asia varies significantly by region (high in China and Korea, low in Japan), suggesting environmental and socioeconomic factors drive endemicity rather than ethnicity.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Regional HAV immunity differences may guide targeted adult vaccination in low-seroprevalence areas like Japan; leaves open socioeconomic drivers of endemicity.
OBJECTIVES: The epidemiological patterns of endemic hepatitis A virus (HAV) are unclear in northeastern Asia depending on the ethnicity of the country in question. The purpose of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of HAV in northeastern China, South Korea, and Japan. METHODS: A total of 1,500 serum samples were collected from five groups of inhabitants (300 each) who were over 40 years of age (Korean Chinese, indigenous Chinese, South Korean, Korean living in Japan, and indigenous Japanese). The samples were screened for antibodies to HAV using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Positivity for HAV antibodies was 93.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.9-96.4) in Koreans living in northeastern China, 99.7% (95% CI: 99.0-100.3) in indigenous Chinese, 98.0% (95% CI: 96.4-99.6) in indigenous Koreans, 33.3% (95% CI: 28.0-38.7) in Koreans living in Japan, and 20.4% (95% CI: 15.8-25.0) in indigenous Japanese persons. The overall anti-HAV prevalence was not significantly different between northeastern China and South Korea, but it was different in Japan. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that differences in seroprevalence can be attributed to geological, environmental, and socioeconomic conditions rather than ethnicity.
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Yun et al. (2012) conducted a cross-sectional in Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection (n=1,500). Geographic location and socioeconomic conditions vs. Different geographic regions (China, South Korea, Japan) was evaluated on Positivity for HAV antibodies (seroprevalence). The seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies among adults over 40 years of age was >93% in northeastern China and South Korea, but significantly lower in Japan (20.4% for indigenous Japanese and 33.3% for Koreans in Japan).
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