IMMUNITY TO HEPATITIS-A IN PEDIATRIC AND NURSERY NURSES

A cross-sectional epidemiological survey of immunity to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) was undertaken in paediatric and nursery nurses to ascer tain whether these occupational groups were at an increased risk of in fection with the virus. Seropositivity to HAV was measured in 33 surgi cal (control), 36 paediatric, 55 nursery and 29 specialist paediatric nurses in a district general hospital, community clinics and a childre n's hospital in the West Midlands. IgG antibodies to HAV were found in 27% of surgical (control), 31% of paediatric (relative risk [RR] = 1. 19, 95% confidence interval [Cl] = 0.56-2.51), 26% of nursery nurses ( RR = 0.99, Cl = 0.48-2.04) and 10% of specialist paediatric nurses (RR = 0.40, Cl = 0.12-1.35). These data are comparable to immunity to HAV for this age group in the general population of this country and do n ot support routine immunization of paediatric or nursery nurses agains t HAV.