Sero-epidemiology of hepatitis delta virus infection in Somalia

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 399 - 400
• Main Authors: Aceti, A., Paparo, B.S., Celestino, D., Pennica, A., Caferro, Marta, Grilli, A., Sebastian, A., Mohamud, O.M., Abdirahman, M., Bile, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.1989; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antigens, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hepatitis Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis B Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis B e Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis D - epidemiology; hepatitis D virus; Hepatitis delta Antigens; Hepatitis Delta Virus - immunology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Somalia - epidemiology; Tropical medicine; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Somalia; Human; Africa; Hepatic disease; Patient; Serology; Somali Republic; Epidemiology; Infection; Immunological investigation; Viral disease; Viral hepatitis delta; Digestive diseases; Carrier
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(89)90516-6

On the basis of the clinical importance of HDV infection and the still-evolving understanding of its epidemiology, the aim of the present study was to determine whether HDV infection is common in the Somalian population, in which the prevalence of HBsAg-carrier state is high. Among 1138 subjects tested, 220 were HBsAg positive (118 from the inhabitants of the villages and 102 from urban people). Among the HBsAg positive individuals, 31 were HBeAg positive and 139 anti-HBeAg positive, and 11 had anti-HBcAg IgM. In addition, 37 subjects carried anti-delta antibodies. All sera were negative for delta antigen. In the 19 anti-delta positive samples collected from the inhabitants of the villages, 3 were HBeAg positive; in 2 of these specimens anti-HBcAg IgM was present, 9 were anti-HBeAg positive and 7 HBe and anti-HBe negative. Of the 18 anti-delta positive specimens from the subjects living in Mogadishu, 14 contained anti-HBeAg and 4 neither HBeAg nor anti-HBeAg.