ABSTRACT
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common cancer in Mongolia. The relative importance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in HCC etiology is known to vary greatly from one part of the world to another. Principally, 95% of HCC patients have chronic viral hepatitis, including 53% hepatitis B virus, 38.9% HCV, and 5.6% have HBV/HCV coinfection. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is widely spread in our country, anti-HDV has been found in more than 25% of carriers who have HBsAg. Materials and methods: We analyzed data of patients who had been diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis in the Department of adult hepatitis, National Center for Communicable Diseases in Mongolia from 1952 to 2018. Results: A total of 318,831 cases of acute viral hepatitis were registered in Mongolia between 1981 and 2019, which is 34.9 cases per 10,000 population. Of these, 265,931 cases of acute viral hepatitis A, or 28.6 per 10,000 populations, 48,855 cases of acute viral hepatitis B, or 5.5 cases per 10,000 populations, and 2,607 cases of acute viral hepatitis C, or 0.4 cases per 10,000 populations were recorded. Conclusion: The prevalence of viral hepatitis in our country was the highest in 1981-1991, but since 2012, the prevalence of infection has steadily decreased. In Mongolia, since 1960, multifaceted programs and activities to combat viral hepatitis have been successfully implemented at the national level. How to cite this article: Badamnachin B, Badamjav T, Dondov G, et al. The Dynamics of the Prevalence of Acute Viral Hepatitis and the Strategies against Viral Hepatitis in Mongolia. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2024;14(1):65-69.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is highly prevalent in Mongolia. We aimed to identify the risk factors associated with HDV infection, propose preventive strategies, and evaluate the outcomes of a 3-year collaborative project between Taiwan and Mongolia. METHODS: In 2016 and 2018, we conducted onsite visits to Mongolia. Mongolian investigators collected questionnaires focusing on risk factors, demographic characteristics, and serum samples for acute HDV infections. Furthermore, 19 Mongolian seed teachers participated in a 1-week workshop on infection control in Taiwan. Subsequently, these seed teachers trained more than 400 medical personnel in Mongolia. To assess secular changes in acute HDV infection, we reviewed the registration data from the National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD) in Mongolia between 2011 and 2021. RESULTS: Among the 194 Mongolian patients, 108 had dual infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HDV, while 86 had acute hepatitis B (AHB). Patients with HBV/HDV dual infections were older (28.6 vs 25.5 years, p = 0.030) and had lower rates of positive hepatitis B e antigen in their sera, lower rates of serum HBV DNA exceeding 2000 IU/mL, and higher rates of having received dental treatment (59.4% vs 40.5%, p = 0.014) and injection therapy (64.2% vs 44.0%, p = 0.009) compared with those with AHB. Analysis of NCCD data revealed that new HDV infection cases were more prevalent between 2011 and 2015 (111.20 ± 29.79 cases/y) and decreased to 54.67 ± 27.34 cases/y between 2016 and 2021 ( p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: Dental treatment and injections were associated with a higher risk of acute HDV infections in Mongolia. Through collaborative efforts, the incidence rate of HDV infection has declined in recent years.
