Prevalence of Immunity to Hepatitis A in Recruits to the British Army and Royal Air Force

The association of hepatitis A and Helicobacter pylori with sensitization to common allergens, asthma and hay fever in a population of young British adults

“…Although different methods were used to measure antibodies to hepatitis A, our work strongly suggests that the prevalence of previous infection with hepatitis A is much lower in East Anglia (5.1% in 20–24‐year olds, 14.2% overall) than in young Italian recruits (26.7%) and the general population of northern Italy (64.8%). In our sample the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A was slightly higher than that found in young recruits in the British Army and Air Force (11), consistent with a report of a decreasing prevalence in East Anglian blood donors (12), and was lower than in general practices in London (13) and patients attending hospitals in four regions of the UK (13, 14). It is possible that in communities where the prevalence of hepatitis A infection is low, the association of other infections such as H. pylori with sensitization can be better observed.…”

Is travel prophylaxis worth while? Economic appraisal of prophylactic measures against malaria, hepatitis A, and typhoid in travellers

“…The model was also sensitive to changes in population seroprevalence. For a seroprevalence of hepatitis A antibodies of 7.9%, as currently found in British army recruits,20 the cost-benefit ratio would increase to 8.26 for human normal immunoglobulin and 22.0 for hepatitis A vaccine. The efficacy of drugs or vaccines and cost of illness has little impact on the cost-benefit ratio.…”