Epidemiological study of viral hepatitis types A, B, C, D and E among Inuits in West Greenland

• Published in: Journal of Viral Hepatitis
• Main Authors: Langer, B. C. A., Frösner, G. G., von Brunn, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1997
• Subjects: Greenland; inuit; inuits
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2893.1997.00063.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1365-2893.1997.00063.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2893.1997.00063.x

Summary. A descriptive study was performed to evaluate the relative frequencies and molecular epidemiological features of viral hepatitis types A to E among the Inuit population in West Greenland. Serum samples were collected from 503 Inuits (186 males and 317 females; mean age 35 years; range 7–79 years) and were tested for markers of viral hepatitis infection. The hepatitis A prevalence averaged 54%, with a significant rise from 9% to 50% between the second and third decade of life. As for hepatitis B, 42% of the total study population showed serological evidence of current or past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 7% were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. Among the carriers, 6% were also positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and HBV DNA could be detected in 49% of carriers by polymerase chain reaction. Typing of the HBV isolates revealed genomic group D in 83% (serotype ayw 2 ) and group A in 17% (serotype adw 2 ). Less than 1% of the study population had antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. None were positive for HCV RNA. Serological evidence of hepatitis D infection was found in 7% of those with hepatitis B helper virus infection markers and in 40% of the HBsAg carriers. As for hepatitis E, 3% of the Inuits showed reactivity in an enzyme immunoassay that detected hepatitis E virus antibody. HEV RNA could not be detected.