Observational studies find higher prevalence of hepatitis D virus in sub-Saharan Africa, indicating urgent need for further research.
In their recent manuscript, Simbo et al. found a high anti-hepatitis D virus (HDV) prevalence (18.7%) in the Afar region of Ethiopia [1], a country where the prevalence was thought to be low [2]. They mentioned that the WHO Africa Region also has a low prevalence in Southern Africa [1]. However, it is wrong to assume that HDV prevalence is low in the whole of Southern Africa. Quite a high HDV prevalence (4.6%) was found in HBsAg-positive patients in a 2015-16 cross-sectional study at the main referral hospital in Botswana [3], and a higher one (7.1 %) was detected in HBsAg-positive people living with HIV in the same country in a retrospective study utilizing 2013–2018 archived plasma samples [4].
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Vento et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: