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Epidemiology of delta infection in Spain
Author(s) -
Buti M.,
Esteban R.,
Jardi R.,
Allende H.,
Baselga J. M.,
Guardia J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890260312
Subject(s) - medicine , hbsag , population , superinfection , hepatitis , hepatitis b , immunology , cirrhosis , chronic liver disease , epidemiology , asymptomatic , viral hepatitis , hepatitis d , asymptomatic carrier , virology , hepatitis b virus , virus , environmental health
The prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection was studied in 954 sera samples collected in Spain between 1974 and 1986 from 838 patients in a variety of epidemiological categories with HBsAg‐positive liver disease, and from 116 haemophiliacs and drug addicts with hepatitis B antibodies. Hepatitis D markers were detected in 64% of drug addicts and 33% of HBsAg‐positive haemophiliacs but were absent in asymptomatic chronic carriers, homosexual males, mentally retarded patients and haemodialysis patients. Hepatitis D markers were found in 6% of patients with acute hepatitis, in 5.6% of those with chronic hepatitis B from general population, and in 65% of those with acute hepatitis B and 67% of those with chronic hepatitis B among drug addicts. During the 12‐year study, no changes were observed in the frequency of Delta infection. The prevalence was less than 10% in chronic HBsAg‐positive hepatitis. These findings indicate that in Spain Delta infection is restricted mainly to HBsAg‐positive drug addicts and multitransfused haemophiliacs, while in the general population only 6.7% of those with chronic hepatitis B show D superinfection. Anti‐HD sera detection is correlated with more severe forms of chronic hepatitis such as chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis.