Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis: anti-HA and anti-HBs

Blood samples of 112 Jewish blood donors were tested for the presence of antibodies to infectious hepatitis (anti-HA). The preliminary data point to a very high rate of previous infections with hepatitis type A, as 93.7% of the blood donors had anti-HA antibodies. In the age group 18-39 years the prevalence was 90.5%, while among donors over 40 the prevalence was 100%. Among blood donors born in Asia or Africa, or those born in Israel whose parents came from Asia or Africa, the prevalence was 100% for all ages (18-65). These data indicate that Israel is a hyperendemic area for type A infectious hepatitis. The same samples were tested for anti-Hbs and HBsAg. Among donors of European origin the prevalence of both antigen and antibody was 20.7% and among those from Asia-Africa the prevalence was 27.3%. The highest rates were observed among Jews of North African origin (34.8%), confirming the results of previous studies of HBsAg in Israel.