Abstract
BackgroundViral hepatitis is a significant health problem in African countries. The increase in the immigrant population from this continent represents a challenge for the Spanish healthcare system. Material and methodsA descriptive study was conducted on the prevalence of the serological markers of hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV) and D (HDV) in African immigrants treated in a specialised doctor's office. ResultsThe study included 2518 patients (87.7% Sub-Saharan natives), with a mean age of 31.3 years. Some 78.8% of the patients had a positive infection marker for HBV, and 638 patients (25.3%) were diagnosed with active hepatitis B (HBsAg+). In 19 cases, antibodies against HDV were detected (4 cases with detection of the viral genome). Sixty-eight patients had antibodies against HCV, 26 of whom had a positive viral load. ConclusionsThe high prevalence of viral hepatitis in immigrants, especially HBV infection, represents a significant change in the profile of patients treated in Spain and requires measures aimed at early diagnosis and transmission prevention.
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