Acute sporadic hepatitis in the Republic of Yemen.
The causes of acute icteric viral hepatitis were determined in 78 adult Yemeni patients. Acute hepatitis B (IgM anti-HBc positive) was the most common type (26.9%). Acute hepatitis E (IgM anti-HEV positive) occurred in 14% and was not associated with travel outside Yemen. Sixty percent of all 78 patients were positive for IgG anti-HEV as were 40% of a series of 48 healthy male blood donors and pregnant females, indicating that HEV is prevalent in Yemen. Acute hepatitis A (IgM anti-HAV positive) and hepatitis C and D were responsible for 5.1%, 6.4%, and 2.6% cases, respectively. This totals to 106%, as an infection with two viruses occurred in 6.4% cases. In 51.3% of all cases, no virological markers of acute hepatitis were detected, suggesting an as yet undiscovered agent.
Gunaid
A A
AA
Al-Thawra Hospital, Sana's, Republic of Yemen.
Nasher
T M
TM
el-Guneid
A M
AM
Hill
M
M
Dayton
R
R
Pal
A
A
Skidmore
S J
SJ
Coleman
J C
JC
Murray-Lyon
I M
IM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G