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ore adults are vulnerable to hepatitis A because they have no antibody either from previous infection or from vaccination.

Samsuridjal Djauzi, a University of Indonesia expert on allergies and clinical immunology, said that in 1970 some 80 percent of adults aged 30 years or older had natural antibodies against hepatitis A because they had been exposed to the disease when they were a child.

“The percentage is getting smaller, although I don’t have the exact number. It is because improving hygiene makes fewer children exposed to hepatitis A. Consequently, at this moment, less adults are not immune to hepatitis A, which makes them vulnerable to infection,” Samsuridjal said at a symposium held by the Jakarta Allergy and Clinical Immunology Network (JACIN) on Sunday.

He said hepatitis A in adults would be more painful. The symptoms in adults include nausea, vomiting, fever, red urine and jaundice, or a yellowing of the eyes.

“Therefore, it is necessary to give vaccinations to adults who have no antibody against hepatitis A,” Samsuridjal said.

He said hepatitis A vaccine efficacy reached 90 percent. “The vaccination is recommended to be given twice within six or twelve months. The second vaccine injection will cause a lifetime antibody against the disease,” Samsuridjal said.

In addition to the vaccination, he suggested personal hygiene and sanitation to avoid the disease, which is mainly transmitted through food and water.

“More people buy food and beverages, some in clean restaurants and others in places with high risk of disease. In our country, we have no regulation of monitoring the hygiene of every restaurant such as in developed countries,” Samsuridjal said, adding that treatment of hepatitis A could incur a large amount of money.

“For people with chronic liver disease infected by hepatitis A, the inflammation process will speed up the development of liver disease,” Samsuridjal said.

According to the World Organization (WHO), some 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A occur annually all over the world. The organization warns that hepatitis A outbreaks are higher in intermediate countries with transitional economies and variable sanitary conditions where the infection occurs in older age groups and fewer people have antibody.

Besides hepatitis A, Indonesia also has a high prevalence of hepatitis B.

“The prevalence reaches 10 to 15 percent and could be higher in eastern Indonesia,” Samsuridjal said.

However, he added, the hepatitis B vaccination has been included in the government program since 1997. (rcf)