Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of D hepatitis В and delta in the Republic of Dagestan

Aim: The analysis of the incidence of hepatitis B in the Republic of Dagestan (RD) and clinical and epidemiological characteristics of HBV/HDV coinfection in the region. Materials and Methods. The dynamics of the hepatitis B incidence rates and the coverage of vaccination against this infection in the RD in 2008-2022 were analyzed based on the data from of the statistical forms of Rospotrebnadzor. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of delta hepatitis were analyzed in 371 patients under dispensary observation at the Republican Center for Infectious Diseases named after S.-А.М. Magomedov. Results. Over the past 10 years, the incidence of CHB in the RD has increased more than 4.5 times, from 1.4 per 100 thousand population in 2008 to 6.7 per 100 thousand population in 2022. A decrease in the rates of hepatitis B child immunization in the RD is observed since 2009. Hepatitis B vaccination coverage rates in adult population fell sharply after 2010, both in the RD and in the Russian Federation on average. The frequency of HDV co-infection in persons infected with HBV in the RD is 13.8%, but reaches 15% in some regions of the republic, indicating the moderate level of endemicity. Patients with HBV/HDV coinfection are predominantly males aged 25–45 years with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. All cases of HDV infection in the RD are caused by viral genotype 1. Conclusions. The obtained results testify to the significance of the problem of hepatitis B and delta in the RD. The number of identified patients and, accordingly, the rate of co-infection, apparently, will increase with the expansion of screening for markers of HDV infection, when patients who were registered as HBsAg carriers will be examined according to the patient routing guidelines. The late diagnosis of delta hepatitis in RD and the limited possibilities of antiviral therapy are another significant issues.