Hepatitis A antibody prevalence among people with an intellectual disability in Ireland

This manuscript aims to determine the prevalence of antibody to and risk factors for hepatitis A virus (HAV) in individuals attending three intellectual disability services through a cross-sectional survey held in Dublin, Ireland. Participants were 636 individuals aged four to 78 years attending three intellectual disability services. The main outcome measure was the measurement of anti-HAV (IgG antibody) in oral fluid swabs using an antibody capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. Risk factor information was obtained by questionnaire from the individual’s medical record. Participants were 362 males and 274 females. The median age was 36 years. The median age of the individuals differed significantly from one institution to another (P