Acute hepatitis A, B and C but not D is still prevalent in Mongolia: a time trend analysis

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Authors: Oidov Baatarkhuu ; Hye Won Lee ; Jacob George ; Dashchirev Munkh-Orshikh ; Baasankhuu Enkhtuvshin ; Sosorbaram Ariunaa ; Mohammed Eslam ; Sang Hoon Ahn ; Kwang-Hyub Han ; Do Young Kim

MeSH: Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hepatitis A/diagnosis* ; Hepatitis A/epidemiology ; Hepatitis B/diagnosis* ; Hepatitis B/epidemiology ; Hepatitis C/diagnosis* ; Hepatitis C/epidemiology ; Hepatitis D/diagnosis* ; Hepatitis D/epidemiology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Middle Aged ; Mongolia/epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

Keywords: Acute hepatitis ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis D

Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mongolia has one of the highest hepatitis A, C, B and D infection incidences worldwide. We sought to investigate changes in the proportion of acute viral hepatitis types in Mongolia over the last decade.

METHODS: The cohort comprised 546 consecutive patients clinically diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis from January 2012 to December 2014 in Ulaanbaatar Hospital, Mongolia. A time trend analysis investigating the change in proportion of acute hepatitis A virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection among the cohort with respect to a previous published study was undertaken.

RESULTS: Acute hepatitis A, B and C was diagnosed in 50.9%, 26.2% and 6.0% of the cohort. Notably, 16.8% of the cohort had a dual infection. The etiologies of acute viral hepatitis were varied by age groups. The most common cause of acute viral hepatitis among 2-19 year olds was hepatitis A, HBV and superinfection with HDV among 20-40 year olds, and HCV among 40-49 year olds. Patients with more than one hepatitis virus infection were significantly older, more likely to be male and had a higher prevalence of all risk factors for disease acquisition. These patients also had more severe liver disease at presentation compared to those with mono-infection.

CONCLUSIONS: Acute viral hepatitis is still prevalent in Mongolia. Thus, the need for proper infection control is increasing in this country.