STUDY OF INTRAFAMILIAL SPREAD OF HEPATITIS B , С AND D INFECTION

Abstract

The aim of the study was to improve prevention and quality of prophylactic medical examination on the basis of analysis of familial clusters of hepatitis B, C and D virus infection. The study material included case histories of 44 patients with chronic hepatitis B, C and D at ages 3.5 to 69 years from 15 families, who were treated at the hepatologic centre “CADMIR” in 2014-2015. Hepatitis infection markers, virus DNA and RNA were determined using enzyme immunoassay and PCR. In the etiologic structure, in patients from familial clusters, chronic hepatitis B was predominant (60%), chronic hepatitis D and chronic hepatitis C represented 20% and 13% respectively, and combined chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C was found in 7% of patients. Most familial chronic hepatitis B clusters consisted of 2 persons (66.7%), the rest consisted of 3 to 6 family members with chronic hepatitis. Infection was realized by all natural parenteral routes of transmission for viral hepatitis. Results of the study indicate the presence of epidemic conditions for occurrence of familial clusters of viral hepatitides, the need for in-depth examination of hepatitis B and C virus carriers with respect to precise diagnosis, mass hepatitis B vaccination of adults and revaccination of adolescents.