Epidemiologic study for the occurrence of acute hepatitis in recent years in Chugoku area

Abstract

On the symposium of "Epidemiologic Study for Occurrence of Acute Hepatitis" in the 2006 annual meeting of Chugoku Branch of Japanese Association of Gastroenterology, a total of 1,815 cases of acute hepatitis occurred in recent 5 to 25 years were reported from 15 hospitals in all Chugoku area. As a result, the cause of acute hepatitis was virus in 52%, drug in 14%, autoimmune in 1% and unknown in 33%. In the recent 10 years, a total occurrence of acute hepatitis was reduced by about 15%. The major factor of this reduction was the reduction of hepatitis A. On the other hand, the number of acute hepatitis of unknown cause was increased and that of drug-induced hepatitis was also seen with a tendency of increase. Concerning to the occurrence of acute viral hepatitis in this area, the frequency of hepatitis B became the highest in replacement of hepatitis A, while the rate of hepatitis C remained unchanged. Then, the recent proportion of the cause of acute viral hepatitis was HBV in 45%, HAV in 25%, HCV in 15%, HEV in 1%, and EBV/CMV combined in 15%.