title: The aetiology of acute hepatitis in Zimbabwe.
abstract: The cause of acute viral hepatitis in 141 patients admitted to both Infectious Diseases Hospitals in Harare (Zimbabwe) was hepatitis A in 44, hepatitis B in 86 and hepatitis Non-A Non-B in 11. The wide distribution of hepatitis A and B viruses and early exposure to both in Zimbabwe are shown by the high positivity rate for anti-HAV antibody in patients under 10 years old (87.5%) and for anti-HBs antibody in patients over 20 (60%). Among the 86 hepatitis B cases, e and delta systems were also investigated: 66 patients (76.5%) were HBeAg positive, six (7%) anti-HBe positive and 14 (16.5%) negative for both; only one was anti-delta positive. Two cases of fulminant liver failure (both occurring in HBsAg and anti-HBc IgM positive, but delta-markers negative patients) and five cases of hepatoma (only one of whom was negative for all HBV markers) are described.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D015030:Zimbabwe