SEROPREVALENCIA AL VIRUS DE HEPATITIS A, HOSPITAL GENERAL PORTOVIEJO

Abstract

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, whose endemicity and seroprevalence are associated with overcrowding, poor access to drinking water, and inadequate disposal of wastewater. The study of the distribution of the seroprevalence of the hepatitis A virus according to the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients is considered of great importance in terms of public health, since it mainly affects vulnerable groups. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of the hepatitis A virus in patients who attended the Portoviejo General Hospital in the 2018-2020 period. The methodology was descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective and quantitative. The population consisted of 63 patients diagnosed with hepatitis A during the study period. We worked with 100% of the population. In the study period, 848 HAV-IgM determinations were made, of which 63 had a positive result, obtaining a seroprevalence of 7.43% for hepatitis A. The highest seroprevalence occurred in 2019 (10.37%) followed by 2018 (5.11%), while in 2020 there were no positive cases. According to age and gender, the highest seroprevalence of hepatitis A occurred in the age group of 18 to 29 years (2.95%) and in the male gender (4.01%). It is concluded that in the Hospital General Portoviejo there is a low seroprevalence of hepatitis A, although an upward trend has been observed in recent years