Prevalence of specific markers of viral hepatitis A and B among an Ethiopian population.

There have been few reports from Africa, and none from Ethiopia, pertaining to seroepidemiological investigation of viral hepatitis A and B. In this study, 396 serum samples, from male and female Ethiopian subjects aged between 3 and 60 years, were tested for specific markers of hepatitis A and B. Antibodies to hepatitis A virus were detected in 99% of the study population. There was an overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) of 9%, with a peak value of 15% in the age groups 21-30 years and >/=41 years. The pattern of age prevalence of HBsAg was similar to that found in China (province of Taiwan), Senegal and Thailand. The distribution of the subtypes of HBsAg was in line with that generally found in east Africa, northern Europe, and central America, where subtype ad predominates. HBsAg was found in 3 times more men than women (10.5% and 3.5%, respectively). Antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen were found in 67% of the population, and were evenly distributed between males and females. In general, the results indicated that hepatitis B virus is more endemic in rural, rather than urban, areas, while hepatitis A virus is endemic throughout the country.