Viral Hepatitis
Conditions
Keywords
hepatitis A, hepatitis B, epidemiology
Brief summary
Immunisation policies have strong influences on the epidemiology of hepatitis A and B infection. In Hong Kong, vaccines against both viruses have been available through different channels and programmes in the past 3 decades. To evaluate the changes in the prevalence of hepatitis A and B in the general population, a seroepidemiology study is conducted involving a prospective cross-sectional survey followed for serology testing. Eligible members of 1327 spatially random households would be invited to join the study by completing a questionnaire and providing blood samples, either by dried blood spots or venesection, for determining the presence of antigen and/or antibody against hepatitis B, as well as antibody against hepatitis A. The main measures comprise a set of metrics on the prevalence of hepatitis A and B. Analysis would be conducted to examine the association of risk factors with the tested markers and describe the attitudes towards viral hepatitis vaccination. The results would allow us to understand the transmission potential of hepatitis A and B in the community would be influenced by the changing disease epidemiology and coverage of vaccination, which inform the development of new vaccination strategies in Hong Kong
Interventions
OTHERNo intervention
Blood samples will be collected from recruited subjects from invited households for testing for hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc) and hepatitis A (anti-HAV)
Sponsors
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Study design
Observational model
ECOLOGIC_OR_COMMUNITY
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* residents normally living in Hong Kong * living in domestic households randomly selected from Building Groups * Any age, while subjects below the age of 18 would require informed consent of their guardians for participation * Any gender
Exclusion criteria
* unable to understand written Chinese or English, * failure to give consent for participation * living in institution or non-domestic housing, * foreign domestic helpers, * normally living in Hong Kong
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hepatitis B infection prevalence | 12 months | Proportion of individuals with positive HBsAg |
| hepatitis A immunity prevalence | 12 months | Proportion of individuals with positive IgG against HAV |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed