RESUMEN
Viral hepatitis is a systemic infection affecting the liver predominantly. Almost all cases of acute viral hepatitis are caused by one of five viral agents: HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV. The present study aimed to find out the frequency of various forms of viral hepatitis [HAY, HBV, and HCV], route of transmission, the history of vaccination against hepatitis B, and clinical findings in 252 hepatic patients referring to 2 teaching hospitals. In this descriptive study, 252 patients with viral hepatitis hospitalized in two university hospitals were included. Based on medical files, the initial data and laboratory indices including HBS-Ag, HBS-Ab, anti- HBC Ab, anti-HCV Ab [ELISA generation II], anti-HAV Ab [IgG, Ig M], and anti-HIV Ab were gathered. The mean age of patients [ +/- standard deviation] was 40.3 +/- 16.3 years. Of 252 cases, 37 [14.5%] suffered from acute viral hepatitis, while 215 [85.5%] were chronically infected. Finally, the frequency of various forms of viral hepatitis was as follows: hepatitis A 5.2%, hepatitis B 54.8%, hepatitis C 34.9%, and hepatitis B and C co-infection 5.2%. With respect to the hazardous complications of hepatitis B and C and the reality that most of the patients are in their reproductive ages, suitable strategic planning for controlling and preventing the disease is of utmost importance