Current epidemiological aspects of acute viral hepatitis in Russia

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Mortality in hepatitis A varies from 0.1 to 2.1%, in hepatitis E from 0.1 to 4%, reaching 30% in pregnant women in the third trimester. From the outcomes and complications of hepatitis B and C, up to 1.4 million people die in the world every year.

AIMS: Determine the current aspects of the epidemic process of acute viral hepatitis: in the conditions of polyethylene friendliness, the influence of socio-economic changes taking place in the Russian Federation and measures of specific immunoprophylaxis of hepatitis B and A.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis of the data of the state statistical reporting of acute viral hepatitis in the Russian Federation (Form No. 2 “Information on infectious and parasitic diseases”) was carried out, the analytical tables developed by the Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Reference Center for Monitoring Viral Hepatitis of the FBSI Central were analyzed. Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. To establish the occurrence of polyetiology, a serological study was carried out by ELISA of 275 blood samples obtained from patients hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of hepatitis A (HAVAb IgM) for the presence of hepatitis B markers (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb) and hepatitis С (HCVAb).

RESULTS: The incidence of acute viral hepatitis has reached the elimination rate in children and adults. In 2009 the incidence of acute hepatitis C was 2.2 per 100 thousand of the population, in children under 14 years old ― 0.6 per 100 thousand of the population, and in 2020 the rate decreased to 0.66 per 100 thousand of the population in the whole country up to 0.1 in children. A characteristic feature of the modern epidemic process of hepatitis А is the shift in incidence to age groups 20–39 years. The most common variants of polyetiology are hepatitis A + hepatitis B (74%). The incidence of parenteral hepatitis has been decreasing in the Russian Federation over the past decade due to ongoing anti-epidemic and preventive measures.

CONCLUSION: The current trend in the epidemiology of acute viral hepatitis is a steady decrease in the incidence. The number of new cases of registration of both vaccine-controlled and non-managed acute viral hepatitis has been steadily declining in both children and adults. The most common variants of polyetiology are hepatitis A + hepatitis B (74%).Vaccinal prophylaxis of hepatitis A and hepatitis B remains a necessary measure to combat various variants of the course of mixed infections.