Acute hepatitis non-A non-B in Cairo residents (a preliminary report)

Abstract

Of 110 patients admitted with jaundice to the Abbassia Fever Hospital (AFH) in Cairo, 49 had acute hepatitis A infection (positive for anti-hepatitis A specific IgM), 28 had hepatitis B infection (positive for HBsAg) and seven had both markers. Of great interest, however, was the finding that 26 patients had no markers for either A or B virus infection. Clinically and biochemically, the non-A non-B hepatitis group resembled the other two infections. None of the 26 patients lacking both markers gave a history of previous blood transfusion or parenteral injections. Thus, the possibility of a faecal-oral or water-borne infection must be considered in these cases.