A COMMUNITY PREVALENCE STUDY OF ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-A AND HEPATITIS-E IN INNER-CITY LONDON

The seroprevalence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) and hepati tis A virus (HAV) was determined in a community-based sample in inner- city London where socioeconomic conditions were expected to result in a high prevalence of antibodies to HAV, and in which the presence of i mmigrants from the developing world pose a risk of imported infection of both HAV and HEV. The seroprevalence of anti-HAV was 45.1% in UK bo rn subjects and 69.7% in non-UK born subjects and each group showed di ffering patterns of age-specific seroprevalence. The seroprevalence ra tes of anti-HEV was 3.9% in UK born subjects and 8.8% in non-UK born s ubjects. The age-specific seroprevalence of the UK born group is sugge stive of a cohort effect. The data suggest a low circulation of HEV in inner-city London, remaining uncommon relative to HAV. (C) 1996 Wiley -Liss, Inc.