title: Hepatitis delta virus infection in Kenya. Its geographic and tribal distribution.
abstract: In 1982-1984, an epidemiologic survey of the prevalence of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) in circulating blood (HBs-antigenemia) and of hepatitis delta virus infection was performed in Kenya. The distributions of hepatitis B virus and the delta virus were shown to be very variable. In southern Kenya, only two of 202 sera from HBsAg-positive individuals with no known liver disease and none from 123 HBsAg-positive patients with hepatitis B-related liver disease were positive for delta antibody. In contrast, in northern Kenya, there was an overall prevalence of delta antibody in healthy individuals of 31%. The distribution of delta infection is discussed in relation to lifestyle, ethnic group, and geographic area.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006306:Health Surveys; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens