The high prevalence (69%) of hepatitis delta virus antibodies among hepatitis B-infected individuals in Kiribati is the highest recorded in the Pacific region.
High HDV seroprevalence in Kiribati HBV patients may warrant targeted screening; leaves open confirmation of clinical impact in prospective studies.
From the Pacific Republic of Kiribati, 90/130 (69%) of hepatitis B-infected individuals carry antibodies to hepatitis delta virus. The prevalence of delta infection varied between geographically isolated subgroups in the population and delta antibodies were found more frequently in subjects over the age of 10. It is unlikely that delta superinfection in this population is associated with an acute hepatic illness. The prevalence of delta infection is the highest recorded from the Pacific region and thus migrants from Kiribati may have provided the source of infection in other population in this region.
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C. J. Tibbs (1989) studied this question.
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