Delta hepatitis virus infection in ethiopia

Abstract

The results of Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) antibody determinations carried on 566 HBsAg positive serum samples from a population of 5270 Ethiopian military recruits are reported. The prevalence of anti-HDV among apparently healthy HBsAg carriers was 5.8%. The prevalence increases with age within the available range (18-30 years). Differences might exist by area of origin and ethnic groups. The distributions of HBV markers was similar in anti HDV positive and anti HDV negative individuals, possibly due to the relatively young age of the population and/or the hyperendemic condition of the area.

Use of replacement blood donors to study the epidemiology of major blood‐borne viruses in the general population of Maputo, Mozambique

“…Thus, in Ethiopia, the prevalence of HDV is 5.8% [Rapicetta et al, 1988], while in Northern Kenya it is five times higher [Greenfield et al, 1986]. The seroprevalence of HDV was zero in this study, a finding compatible with the situation in South Africa, where it ranges from 0% [Dusheiko et al, 1989a] to 0.6% [Abdool Karim et al, 1991].…”

Clade homogeneity and low rate of delta virus despite hyperendemicity of hepatitis B virus in Ethiopia

“…This study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first description of HDV molecular characterization from a large study population comprising blood donors, liver disease patients and HIV infected individuals. The seroprevalence and viral detection rate of HDV observed among HBsAg positives cases in this study were unexpectedly low when compared to previous reports from Ethiopia [ 17 , 18 ], other African countries and global data [ 7 , 10 , 19 ]. Nevertheless, reports showed an increasing incidence of global HDV infection due to dynamic population movement particularly in HIV-infected patients from HBV hyperendemic area [ 10 ].…”

Hepatitis delta virus infection in a large cohort of chronic hepatitis B patients in Ethiopia

“…In this large study of more than 1200 Ethiopian CHB patients, the seroprevalence of HDV antibodies was only 1.5%, of whom approximately two‐thirds had active virus replication as attested by HDV RNA positivity. These figures were significantly lower than those found in a study performed in Ethiopia in the 1980s, which found an HDV seroprevalence of 5.8% among 566 HBsAg‐positive military recruits . This difference could be due to a decline in the prevalence of HDV in the country, but it is also possible that older studies overestimated the HDV seroprevalence related to the nature of the samples and/or the assays used.…”

“…These figures were significantly lower than those found in a study performed in Ethiopia in the 1980s, which found an HDV seroprevalence of 5.8% among 566 HBsAg-positive military recruits. 13 This difference could be due to a decline in the prevalence of HDV in the country, but it is also possible that older studies overestimated the HDV seroprevalence related to the nature of the samples and/or the assays used. Older serological assays had suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, 21 and the lack of molecular diagnostic methods was a major limitation.…”

“…The estimated CHB prevalence in the country is 7.4% according to a recent meta‐analysis . Reliable estimates of HDV infection are absent, although a study from the 1980s reported that 5.8% of military recruits with chronic HBV infection had detectable HDV antibodies . However, like many other seroprevalence studies on the continent, this study employed older serological assays and was limited by the absence of molecular diagnostic tools.…”