seroprevalence study of hepatitis D Among HBsAg positive subjects

ABSTRACT

Serological markers of Delta virus in relation to Hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection were studied from November 1999 through October 2000 in 1115 patient sera in comparison with apparently healthy blood donors and with HBsAg positive patients with or without hepatitis D virus [HDV] infection. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA] was used for the determination of serological markers. The seroprevalence study showed that apparently healthy blood donors may have HDV and that various potential risk factors for the transmission of HBV enhance HDV transmission. In Iraq, apparently healthy HBsAg positive blood donors showed a relatively lower HDV rate [5.2%] when compared to HBsAg positive hepatopathies [7.4%]. The age prevalence of HDV parallels that of HBV