Delta in Denmark: prevalence of hepatitis delta virus infection.

Abstract

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection has an aggressive disease course and is the most difficult to treat of the human hepatitis viruses. In Denmark, as in many countries, the national prevalence of HDV has not been established. Based on diagnoses and laboratory test results in national healthcare registries, we estimated that the prevalence of current HDV infection amongst patients with chronic hepatitis B was 3.1% and the general population prevalence approximately 4 in 100,000.