Journal of Medical Virology, Volume 51, No. 1, Year 1997
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
The causes of acute icteric viral hepatitis were determined in 78 adult Yemeni patients. Acute hepatitis B (IgM anti-HBc positive) was the most common type (26.9%). Acute hepatitis E (IgM anti-HEV positive) occurred in 14% and was not associated with travel outside Yemen. Sixty percent of all 78 patients were positive for IgG anti-HEV as were 40% of a series of 48 healthy male blood donors and pregnant females, indicating that HEV is prevalent in Yemen. Acute hepatitis A (IgM anti-HAV positive) and hepatitis C and D were responsible for 5.1%, 6.4%, and 2.6% cases, respectively. This totals to 106%, as an infection with two viruses occurred in 6.4% cases. In 51.3% of all cases, no virological markers of acute hepatitis were detected, suggesting an as yet undiscovered agent.