Author/Authors :
Talaat, M. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt , El-Sayed, N. Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt , Kandeel, A. Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt , Azab, M.A. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt , Afifi, S. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt , Youssef, F.G. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt , Ismael, T. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt , Hajjeh, R. Centers for Disease Control, USA , Mahoney, F.J. Centers for Disease Control, USA , Mahoney, F.J. US Naval Medical Research Unit, Egypt
Abstract :
Viral hepatitis is a major problem in Egypt. To define the epidemiology of the disease, sentinel surveillance was established in 5 hospitals in diverse areas of the country in 2001. Data were completed for patients meeting the case definition for viral hepatitis. Of a total of 5909 patients evaluated, 4189 (70.9%) showed positive antibody markers for hepatitis. Out of those, 40.2% had evidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, 30.0% hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 29.8% hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This surveillance system was useful in identifying the variable endemicity of acute HAV infection in different regions and for better understanding the epidemiology of HBV and HCV infection.
