[Low occurrence of delta agent infections in Morocco].
The incidence of delta infections in Morocco has been investigated to explain the high rate of severe hepatitis B (HB) observed in this country. The presence of delta antigen (D Ag) and antibodies to delta agent (D Ab) was tested by radio-immuno-assay in the sera from 85 HBs Ag positive patients, hospitalized in Casablanca: among them 57 suffered from acute or fulminant HB (12 deceased), 10 from chronic hepatitis and 18 from cirrhosis. Neither D Ag nor D Ab were found, excepted once in a patient with cirrhosis having shown the presence of D Ab. In contrast with the high endemicity of delta agent reported in other countries of North Africa, the incidence of delta infections seems to be very low in Morocco.
Rioche
M
M
Service de Virologie-Immunologie, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca.
Himmich
H
H
Hansson
B G
BG
Nordenfelt
E
E
D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009018:Morocco
Faible incidence des infections par l'agent delta au Maroc.