J Gastrointestin Liver Dis, March 2016 Vol. 25 No 1: 25-32 1) Te National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Bucharest; 2) PhD student Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi 3) PhD supervisor, Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania Address for correspondence: Odette Popovici Institutul Naţional de Sănătate Publică 1-3 Dr. Leonte Anastasievici Str Bucharest, 050463 Romania odette.popovici@insp.gov.ro Received: 12.01.2016 Accepted: 26.02.2016 A Seroprevalence Study of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections in a Hospitalized Population in Romania, an Opportunity for a Better National Prevention and Control Strategy Odette Popovici 1,2 , Geza B. Molnar 1 , Florin Popovici 1 , Denisa Janţă 1 , Adriana Pistol 1 , Doina Azoicăi 3 INTRODUCTION Globally, viral hepatitis is the 8th biggest cause of mortality. About 1.4 million deaths are estimated to be due to acute infection, cirrhosis and liver cancer annually, a value comparable with those for HIV and tuberculosis. Fify fve percent of these deaths are attributable to Hepatitis B virus ORIGINAL PAPER ABSTRACT Background & Aims: Te most recent prevalence data for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Romania came from an ESEN 2 study (2002), and from a Romanian population-based study performed in 2008. Most of the previous studies were regional and performed in specifc groups (blood donors, pregnant women, institutionalized people, etc) and had limited representativeness at the national level, both for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Te scarcity of prevalence data for HBV and HCV infection coming from the routine surveillance was also considered. Te aim of our study was to obtain overall and age group specifc estimates of the prevalence of HBV and HCV infections markers in Romania, in order to recommend evidence-based public health interventions. Te main outcome was the proportion of persons with HBV, HCV and HBV+HCV infection markers, overall and by age group and gender. Methods: Our seroprevalence study ensured national representativeness for the targeted hospitalized population. A prospective collection of serum samples in hospital laboratories was completed between September and November 2013, using a systematic sampling. Te study respected the confdentiality of personal data. We calculated the sample size using EpiInfo7 and used Z test - Two-tailed probability for statistical signifcance. Results: Te overall prevalence data estimated in our study were HBc Ab 28%, HBs Ag 4.2%, HBs Ab regardless of titer 64.1%, HBs Ab in titer of at least 10mUI/ml and negative HBc Ab 17.5%; HCV Ab 5.6%; HBc Ab and HCV Ab 2.8%, as markers of double infection. Conclusion: Te overall prevalence data estimated in our study for HBs Ag (4.2%) and HCV Ab (5.6%) correspond to a medium endemicity based on the WHO criteria. Te estimated prevalence of HBV and HCV infection markers in the study population should represent an opportunity for a better national prevention and control strategy. Key words: Hepatitis B virus – Hepatitis C virus – sero-prevalence – evidence-based – public health interventions – strategy. Abbrevations: ECDC: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; ESEN: European Seroepidemiology Network; HBcAb: Hepatitis B-core antibodies; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCVAb: Hepatitis C virus antibodies; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; NIPH: Te National Institute of Public Health; WHO: World Health Organization. Available from: www.jgld.ro/wp/y2016/n1/a5 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.251.hbc (HBV), 35% to hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the rest to hepatitis A and E viruses [1]. It is recognized that 10% of adults with acute hepatitis B and 90% of children perinatally infected will develop a chronic form of HBV infection. For hepatitis C, the chronic potential is over 75%. The ECDC report published in 2013 regarding the results of hepatitis B and C surveillance in EU/EEA in 2012, mentioned the important burden of these diseases at a European level and the diferences in their distribution between countries [2]. Te report highlights again the need of strengthening hepatitis B and C surveillance, in order to provide information that could help in monitoring the