Sero-diagnosis for viral hepatitis in 93 patients admitted with acute hepatitis in three different teaching hospitals in Lahore

ABSTRACT

Serodiagnosis was done in 93 patients admitted with acute viral hepatitis [AVH] to three teaching hospitals in Lahore. Five [5.4%] had hepatitis A, 39 [41.9%] hepatitis B [2 of these were anti delta positive], 44 [47.3%] probable hepatitis E and 3 [3.2%] had HAV/HBV co-infection. Antibody to hepatitis C [anti HCV] was detected in 6 patients [6.4%]; 2 with HBV and 4 with probable HEV infection. Excluding 39 patients with hepatitis B and 3 with HBV as part of co-infection, there was evidence of previous HBV infection in 39 out of the remaining 51 patients. In the subset of 6 children, 3 had hepatitis A and 3 hepatitis E. Of these, 5 had evidence of previous exposure to HBV and one was also positive for anti HCV. Our results are suggestive of a strong background of HBV infection raising concern about its chronic sequelae in the community