Declining seroprevalence of hepatitis A in Vojvodina, Serbia

To assess the current hepatitis A virus (HAV) endemicity in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, we examined the seroprevalence and susceptibility profiles of the general population. A serum bank of 3466 residual samples, collected in 2015–16 as per the specifications of the European Sero-Epidemiology Network 2 project (ESEN2), was tested for anti-HAV antibodies with an enzyme immunoassay. Relationships between anti-HAV positivity and demographic features of respondents were examined by univariable and multivariable analyses. Present-day HAV seroprevalence was compared with that obtained in 1978–79. Surveillance data for hepatitis A recorded between 2008 and 2017 were also analyzed. Age was the only demographic variable found to be independently associated with a HAV seropositive status. Seropositivity (17% overall vs. 79% in 1978–79) increased with age to a maximum of 90% in the elderly ≥60 years. Only 5% of subjects