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Review
. 2012 Nov-Dec;18(6):349-57.
doi: 10.4103/1319-3767.103425.

Epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Saudi Arabia: are we off the hook?

Ayman A Abdo  1 , Faisal M Sanai, Faleh Z Al-Faleh
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Saudi Arabia: are we off the hook?

Ayman A Abdo et al. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2012 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Some 400 million people worldwide are currently infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), and the infection is common in the Middle East. Another 170 million people around the globe presently live with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Both HBV and HCV represent a worldwide epidemic. Despite significant decline in the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in Saudi Arabia, these viral diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality, and impose a great burden on the country's healthcare system. On the other hand, Saudi epidemiology studies have shown that the hepatitis A virus seroprevalence in the country has reduced considerably over the past two decades. The progress in mapping the epidemiological pattern of viral hepatitis in Saudi Arabia has not only aided our understanding of the disease, but has also exposed the small but relevant gaps in our identification of the intricate details concerning the disease's clinical expression. In this review, we aim to document the timeline of viral hepatitis epidemiology in Saudi Arabia, while summarizing the relevant published literature on the subject.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of HBsAg among the Saudi population documented before and after introducing a nation-wide HBV vaccination program, over an 18-year period
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changing patterns of hepatitis C prevalence in blood donors at the King Khalid University Hospital over 20 years
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changing patterns of hepatitis A prevalence within the Saudi population over 18 years
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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MeSH terms