Acquisition of antibodies to various coxsackie and echo viruses and hepatitis A virus in agricultural communal settlements in Israel

A seroepidemiological study was conducted to measure the antibody prevalence for eight different enteric viruses. These include seven “classical” enteroviruses, ie, Coxsackie virus types A9, B1, B3, B4 and three ECHO virus types 4, 7, and 9, as well as hepatitis A virus (HAV), recently classified as enterovirus 72. Sera samples were obtained from 791 residents living in 29 agricultural settlements (kibbutzim) with a total population of 15,950. The results indicated that the acquisition of antibodies to Coxsackie and ECHO viruses occurred at a significantly earlier age than to HAV. Prevalence of antibodies to Coxsackie and ECHO viruses at two to four years of age was 40%–69%, in contrast to 4% for HAV. At age 5–17 years, 85% had antibodies to five or more of the seven “classical” enteroviruses, as compared with 10% to HAV. The latter steeply increased to 63% for age group 18–24 years and reached a peak of 95% for age group 50 years and older. Prevalence of antibodies to ECHO and Coxsackie viruses were often found to be higher in females than in males, within the age group of 18 years and older, but not in age groups 18 years and younger. Prevalence of antibodies to HAV was observed to be much higher in males than in females 18–24 years of age. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of individuals harboring antibodies to three or more and even up to five or more Coxsackie and ECHO viruses between those HAV‐negative versus those HAV positive. This suggests that in addition to the well‐known fecal‐oral mode of transmission in these agents, other factors are involved that are responsible for the significantly different mode of aquisition of infection and immunity to classical enteroviruses and HAV in the community of the kibbutz.