Abstract
IntroductionNorth Africa is known to be endemic for hepatitis D virus. However, data one the prevalence of this virus in Libya are scanty. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection in Libya and analyze the demographic factors associated with the infection, and also to assess the variations across the regions and districts.MethodsA total of 1873 samples collected from all over the country were tested for antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen and the results were correlated with demographic and geographic variables.ResultsThe overall prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection was 1.7%. The prevalence rate was significantly high among those aged over 40 years (P < 0.001) and it was associated with intravenous drug use and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus and/or hepatitis C virus infection (P < 0.001). The prevalence rates varied with geographic location and differed markedly within the regions the country. The highest rate reported was in the central region of Libya, followed by the western and eastern regions.ConclusionHepatitis D virus infection rate in Libya is considered to be low but is of some concern in some districts. This has been propagated by population displacement and African immigrants, indicating that a continuous epidemiological surveillance program should be implemented.
Highlights
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is an RNA viroid that infects only people in the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), which expresses hepatitis B envelope protein
The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of HDV infection among Libyan patients, analyze the potential risk and demographic factors associated with the infection, and investigate the geographic variation of HDV within the different regions and districts of the country
This 1.7% prevalence rate is very low compared with other Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia (13.6% ), Mauritania (9-67%) and the neighboring countries Egypt (23.53%), Tunisia, (7-44% ) and Sudan (25-28%) [1,18,19].The prevalence of HDV infection in our cohort study was similar to the findings from other Mediterranean countries, including Spain and France, in which very low rates (
Summary
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is an RNA viroid that infects only people in the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), which expresses hepatitis B envelope protein. It is estimated that 2-8% of chronic HBV carriers are co-infected with HDV, corresponding to 10-20 million patients. High prevalence rates of HDV have been reported in North African countries [10]. The breakdown of the security situation led to a heavy influx of African immigrants [13,14] Together, these circumstances have maintained high levels of viral hepatitis transmission through injuries, blood and sexual contacts, and even unsafe blood transfusion [15]. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of HDV infection among Libyan patients, analyze the potential risk and demographic factors associated with the infection, and investigate the geographic variation of HDV within the different regions and districts of the country
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