title: Acute viral hepatitis in Auckland.
abstract: A community survey was undertaken in order to determine the seroepidemiologic pattern of acute viral hepatitis in Auckland. As hospital records and Health Department notifications underestimate the problem, all patients with a serum alanine transpeptidase (ALT) level of greater than 200 mu/l (X 5 normal) were investigated for viral liver disease. Over a four month period a total of 303 cases of acute viral hepatitis were identified, 49 (16.2%) were hepatitis A, 11 with coincident hepatitis B, 88 (29%) were hepatitis B, 80 (26.4%) nonA nonB hepatitis, 81 (26.7%) Epstein Barr virus hepatitis and 5 (1.6%) cytomegalovirus hepatitis. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B occurred with increased frequency among Maoris and Polynesians, while Epstein Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and nonA nonB hepatitis occurred more frequently among Europeans. The incidence of acute symptomatic viral hepatitis (excluding cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus infections) was 78 cases/10(5)/per year for the Auckland region in this survey.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M