Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus in drinking water workers and wastewater workers in Texas from 1996 to 1997

To determine if wastewater workers had a higher prevalence of antibody to h epatitis A virus (anti-HAV) than drinking water workers, a convenience samp le of Texas wastewater and drinking water workers was evaluated for risk fa ctors by questionnaire and tested for anti-HAV; A total of 359 wastewater a nd 89 drinking water workers participated. Anti-HAV positivity was 28.4% fo r wastewater and 23.6% for drinking water workers. After adjustment for age , educational attainment, and Hispanic ethnicity, the odds ratio for the as sociation between anti-HAV positivity and wastewater industry employment wa s 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 3.8). Among wastewater workers, neve r eating in a lunchroom, greater than or equal to 8 years in the wastewater industry, never wearing face protection, and skin contact with sewage at l east once per day were all significantly associated with anti-HAV positivit y in a model that adjusted for age and educational attainment. Wastewater w orkers in this study had a higher prevalence of anti-HAV than drinking wate r workers, which suggested that wastewater workers may have been at increas ed risk of occupationally acquired hepatitis A. Work practices that expose workers to wastewater may increase their risk.