Epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Italy.

Recent data from different research groups on the epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Italy were reviewed. Type A viral hepatitis shows the widest spreading in Southern Italy, where high prevalences of anti-HAV have been recorded among children. Type B viral hepatitis is endemic in Italy, as born out by high prevalences of HBsAg healthy carriers, of anti-HBs and/or anti-HBc positive subjects and of acute and chronic type B hepatitis. Non A/non V viral hepatitis represents about 50% of posttransfusion hepatitis and about 20% of adult sporadic cases.